Fate Fell Short
by bxexlxlxa
Summary: Annabeth Chase is dragged to a party by her best friend, Thalia. Getting all kinds of wasted and sleeping with her crush of four years was not the expected outcome by far. But when she is left with a little stick containing two pink lines, she has to prepare herself for the next nine months of tortuous teen pregnancy. :: Rating is T/M
1. The Party

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving. (cough, all hail Rick Riordan, cough)**

**Warning: Rated M. Contains mature content. Drugs, Underage alcohol consumption, Sex, and Parties.**

* * *

Annabeth hadn't planned on showing up to the party.

She figured it to be the cliché, typical high school kicker that all the kids throw when their parents are out of town for the weekend. So when her best friend Thalia begged her to come, she simply denied, stating that it sounded like more trouble than it was worth.

But then she got home that same day and found that her parents had just _expected_ her to be able to babysit her younger brothers while they went out. They assumed that their daughter would have nothing better to do on her Friday night. They were right, of course, because she never actually did anything interesting.

Sadly, they knew her all too well.

It wasn't her fault that decent colleges would expect no less than a perfect transcript and above average grades. That meant that she spent more of her time studying for the SATs than she did out boozing with her friends.

Annabeth's friends had always told her that she was a goody-two shoes. She didn't particularly disagree with them; she knew she was a nerd. It was something she had come to terms with a while ago, and she didn't have a problem with it.

But there was something about her parents having a more active social life than herself that bit at her. So she told them that she had plans. She tried not to be offended by the look of surprise that had struck their faces.

She called Thalia before she gave herself a chance to change her mind. It was inevitable that she would be regretting this decision at some point, but that wasn't something that was on her mind right now. At this moment, all she could think of was proving something. She wanted to not only prove to her parents, but to herself that she could be more than the antisocial introvert she had known herself to become.

Her best friend was excited – and very surprised – that she had decided to go. Everyone knew that it wasn't exactly an _Annabeth_ thing to do.

Unexpected.

She liked the sound of that. She liked the idea of _shocking_ people. Her pride was something that she never liked to have questioned, and it would do loads for it if she could prove herself.

It only took about ten minutes to get ready for the party in her own taste.

It only took about half of a second for Thalia to reject it.

"Uh, no. I don't think so," the punk said as soon as she answered the door.

Frowning, she asked, "What's wrong with my outfit?" She didn't think she looked too bad. A simple white button up and black pants.

Her best friend just laughed, "Are you going to a party, or an interview with the CEO of Intel?"

Scowling, she raised her chin in defiance. "I don't look bad."

"No, you don't. But you're not dressed for the right occasion."

Over the next half an hour, Annabeth found herself being poked and prodded at by her best friend. She could feel the make-up being heavily coated onto her face. By the time Thalia was finished, Annabeth was wearing a black Led Zeppelin crop-top, with high waisted denim shorts. Her belly button was exposed, as well as most of her legs.

When she took a peek at herself in the full length mirror, she squeaked. Someone could have easily mistaken her for a street corner girl. Her eyes were made up in thick black liner and her lips were painted red. The bouncy blonde curls that used to texture her hair, were now flattened into pin-straight locks.

"I look like a harlot..." Annabeth muttered to herself, as she poked the exposed flesh of her stomach and cringed.

"You look hot, Annabeth. I mean, just look at you! I made you _sexy_!" Thalia exclaimed with a wide grin. The blonde knew there would be no way out of this now. Thalia was as stubborn as a mule when she wanted something. In this case, Annabeth's virtue.

In all honesty, Annabeth was starting to feel scared. She had never been to a real high school party before. She thought they were stupid, cliché, and even a little pointless. The part of the night where she would start regretting the decision to do this had come early. She was feeling it now.

...δ...

Thalia's old sedan pulled into the drive way of a larger than average house. She recognized the surname on the mailbox. _Stoll. _As in Connor and Travis Stoll. Those kids were usually up to no good, and Annabeth wasn't the least bit surprised that this was their party.

Kicking her converses against the pavement, she waited for Thalia to get out of the car before she made a move. Like hell she'd be going in their by herself and God forbid she start socializing. The punk girl gave her a wink as she slipped her elbow through Annabeth's and walked them through the doors.

The party was...loud. As expected. There were throngs of half-dressed girls, which should have made Annabeth more confident about her outfit choice, but really just made her feel like she was about to become a statistic. (Unbeknownst to her, she would by the end of the night.)

She recognized a few faces and it was a little weird to see the kids she grew up with, humping each other like dogs in heat. The room was practically running off the raging hormones of the adolescent teens in the room.

Thalia dragged her into the kitchen and Annabeth had a feeling she knew where this was headed. "I'm not drinking, Thalia," she declared as her fingers tried to stretch the fabric of her shorts to cover more leg.

There were a few people in the kitchen, mostly minding their own business and getting themselves drinks.

Rolling her eyes, the black-haired girl grabbed a shot of something that Connor Stoll himself was pouring. "Thanks Connor," Thalia told him while shoving the tiny glass in Annabeth's hand.

"Let loose a little, would you, Annie? You're here to have fun! Prove to me that you're not a goody two shoes priss and down this shot!"

For some reason, that did it for her. It might have been the fact that her best friend had basically called her a dweeb, or it could have been that she was right.

The shot glass felt cold in her hand. The liquid inside was transparent and innocent looking enough. But she wasn't stupid. She knew that as soon as it went down her throat, all aspects of innocence would fly right out the window.

Bringing the cup to her lips, she tipped her head back and threw the liquid down her throat. It sloshed and burned where it made contact and the feeling was too much. She placed the glass down on the counter with an unpleasant cringe on her face. "That was terrible," she complained. She could still feel the fiery alcohol in her mouth.

"That was vodka," Thalia countered. "And you took it better than I thought you would. Let's see how long it takes for it to kick in." The girl's smile was mischievous and Annabeth felt nervous. Things were about to get hazy.

...δ...

About twenty minutes later, Annabeth could be found out in the middle of the dance floor. People that knew her from school looked onto her and gaped. No one could believe that their precious Annabeth Chase was actually dancing... like _that_.

She was swaying her hips along to the music and Thalia watched on with an expression of pride. Annabeth couldn't be bothered. After her third shot of the nasty vodka, she was feeling pretty reckless. She couldn't remember the last time she had let herself have fun. She felt free.

Her inhibitions were low, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. That's probably why, when the skeezy looking boy from her history class offered her little round pills, she took one. She vaguely remembered him referring to them as 'beans.'

Wracking her brain for what 'beans' meant in street names of drugs and what it could be, she gave up once she realized that she was too drunk to even care what it was. All her intoxicated state could grasp at was that it was going to let her have even more fun than she was already having and she couldn't pass up an opportunity like that.

He had an array of colors to choose from. There were different shades of blues, pinks, greens, and yellows. Some were white, and they all had little pictures inscribed in the middle of them. She settled on a brightly colored purple one with a little Greek omega Ω pressed into the center.

The boy told her that since it was her first time, she should probably avoid chewing it. He advised her to either swallow it, or let it dissolve under her tongue. But he also said it tasted terrible, so she chose to just swallow.

Placing the small purple pill on her tongue, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. It rolled down her throat easily and the guy gave her a smile. "Give it about thirty or so minutes to kick in," he told her.

...δ...

And by the time she hit minute sixteen, she was a goner. She was bouncing off the walls with renewed energy. Her skin felt tingly and her senses were going into overdrive. She could _hear_ everything. Colors stood out to her and she could feel her heart beating at what seemed like a million miles per hour.

She decided that she liked the drug. Whatever it was. It made her feel happy and new and free and motherfucking high on life.

She could understand why people got addicted to drugs, and the little practical side of Annabeth that was somewhere in her head still, banging on the walls in her mind, trying and failing to take control of the situation, took note that she probably shouldn't try this drug again. She would become addicted to the miracle shit.

It didn't take long for Annabeth to start dancing again and she was doing so in a revived fire. Her hair swished around as her dampened body moved fluidly to the music. She kissed some strangers. A few girls, maybe. She wasn't sure. Everything was kind of blurry.

Suddenly, someone bumped into her. She turned her head and focused her dilated pupils on the culprit, recognizing him immediately.

Percy Jackson.

With his wind-blown black hair and beautiful ocean colored eyes, the boy was the definition of aesthetic perfection. When he looked at her and flashed her the dazzling lopsided grin that she had adored for years, her already pounding heart was about to have a seizure in her chest.

Little known to most, Annabeth had liked Percy since the eighth grade. Even Thalia didn't know about her little crush. In truth, she was ashamed of liking someone like him. It wasn't like he was a bad guy – at least most of the time. It was just that Percy was not someone people would associate perfect Annabeth Chase with.

He was a trouble maker. His attitude was cocky and sarcastic and he had a rebellious streak that had lasted as long as Annabeth had knew him. Which was a while.

She didn't know _why_ she liked him. All she knew was that she couldn't tell anyone, including Thalia. She was sure to become the laughing stock for liking a guy so vastly different from herself. And so hopelessly out of her league.

"Annabeth, right?" Percy yelled over the music so he could be heard. Her thizzing mind had trouble believing that he was actually talking to her. And he knew her name. _Sweet baby Jesus._

"Yeah," she answered back at the same volume, hardly registering any of it. She wanted to get a grip on herself, but it was way out of the question at this point. Drugs were weird.

For the first time that night, she was regretting being so high. She was suddenly afraid that being so incapacitated at the moment would cause her to do something highly stupid in front of him. Like pronounce her undying love for him. She wouldn't put it past herself at the moment.

But then, he was asking her to dance, and she thought she might have stopped breathing. "I love this song. Do you wanna dance with me?" His big hand reached out to her, showing that the offer wasn't bogus.

"I'd love to," she choked out, probably a little too fast.

His arms draped around her waist and pulled her close to him. And if she thought the drug was doing something to make her skin tingly, Percy could give it a run for it's money.

Everywhere he touched burned like fire, and that was when she decided that Percy was his own kind of drug to her. He was working her even harder than the 'beans' were. And she wanted to be addicted to him. She wanted to overdose on Percy Jackson.

Her own hands traveled up his arms, over his chest to behind his neck. Their faces were only inches apart. Their bodies moved to the music passionately and she felt so good in that moment that she never wanted to stop. She decided that parties were a good thing.

The way they moved around each other felt coordinated, like their bodies knew the others' movement before it happened. They were in sync with each other.

He pulled her body impossibly closer and she got a good whiff of his scent. It was the salty sea breeze smell that normally drove her wild, but with a light hint of alcohol. For some reasons unknown to her, she was glad that he wasn't in his right state either. If she did embarrass herself, he might be too drunk to even remember.

The green-eyed boy craned his head down to nuzzle his nose into a spot just below her ear. It was so painfully sweet that she had to physically pinch her skin to remind herself that it didn't mean the same thing to him. He had no idea what she'd felt for him all these years.

As he pulled his head back and his eyes glinted in the way that only he could make cute, she wanted to kiss him. But that wasn't anything new.

What was new was the fact that she did.

Annabeth blamed it on the drugs. Only the crude mixture of alcohol and a little purple pill could have given her the balls to reach up on her tiptoes and connect her lips to his.

What shocked her the most was that he _immediately_ kissed her back. Like he was waiting for it – or hoping.

His lips were soft and tasted like bourbon. He did seem like a whiskey kind of guy and that only made him more attractive to her. Well, everything Percy did was attractive to her. Her little crush was quickly becoming creepy to even herself.

She didn't know if it was her state of intoxication that was making her heart jump painfully and her skin sear with feeling, or if it was just the effect Percy had on her. She could hardly register the fact that she was kissing Percy Jackson – her crush of four years – and he seemed to be into it as well.

His tongue swept across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth instantly. She probably should have been embarrassed for acting too eager, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. All she knew was that making out with him just wasn't enough. The feel of his tongue inside her mouth just solidified that feeling. He was absolutely divine.

She wanted more of him.

And that was how she found herself pulling away for a second and asking, "You wanna go somewhere more...private?" She was a little breathless and her cheeks were probably pink. Her body was hot and stimulated. Weird little electric currents danced over her skin.

His eyes widened and he countered with another question. "Are you serious? Wait, are you high?" He searched her face for the tell-tale signs of drug use, and she knew that he saw it in her dilated pupils and heated pink skin.

She felt her heart drop into her butt, as the hurt washed over her like a wave. He didn't want to do anything like that with her. She should've known that he would have thought she had to have been on drugs to even _try_ asking him to do be with her like that. Her hands dropped off of his shoulders and she stepped back. "Oh God..." she muttered, mortified. She was _so_ embarrassed.

As soon as she let go of him and he saw her hurt expression, he matched her step and brought them together once again. "No! No, Annabeth. I didn't mean it the way you think." He grabbed one of her hands and brought it up to his mouth in a quick peck to her knuckles. "I feel kinda honored, actually. I didn't think you would actually want to... _you know_, with me. I don't mean to sound presumptuous if that's not what you meant, but it sounded like... yeah. Of course I'd love to, but I had trouble believing _you'd_ want to... And now I'm being awkward and rambling, and it's sort of embarrassin-"

She cut him off with another steamy kiss. He seemed grateful at her intrusion. "Let's go," she whispered against his lips.

This time he didn't question her. He grasped her small hand in his and led her up the stairs. He was pretty good friends with the Stoll's, Annabeth knew. That gave him the VIP pass to the bedrooms upstairs. Plenty of kids were trying to find places to go, but Percy actually had a _key_ to one of the locked bedroom doors.

She tried not to think if he had been planning on using it with someone else tonight. It just made her feel a little sick to her stomach, thinking about him with other girls. She had had to deal with years of Percy dating and flirting with others. He was hot, and girls liked him. It really wasn't his fault, but it still sucked to watch.

The door opened easily and the two stumbled in. Percy kicked the it shut with his foot and locked the knob behind him.

He wasted no time jumping Annabeth again. The kiss was searing and had her aching with desire. His tongue met hers once again in a heated battle for dominance. Winning, he explored her mouth for the second time, while reaching a hand up to cup her face.

They had somehow maneuvered towards the bed and were lying on it, tangled in each others' limbs. Annabeth knew exactly where this was headed, but didn't think for a second to stop it.

She wanted this. She had wanted it for so long. And now she was finally getting it.

Her easy-going attitude about losing her virginity to a thoroughly more experienced guy that couldn't possibly care about her was at a direct fault of the drugs. She had to believe that. And as his shirt left his body, she really didn't even want to care anymore.

Clothes were tossed and forgotten until their bodies were left bare and she felt like she was swimming in a world of bliss. Her eyes raked over his exposed form and she felt a sense of giddiness and utter attraction at the small tattoo on the inside of his left arm. She couldn't read what it said at the moment, but she could just tell that it matched Percy's bad ass attitude already.

Percy's lips all over her felt like a form of Elysium. Several times he had asked her if this was okay, or if it was too much. She didn't get caught up in the flutters in her stomach as he asked her things like that. She wouldn't let herself believe that he actually cared whether or not he was going to end up hurting her, because he didn't.

She just focused on the opportunity at hand. The girl had had a crush on Percy for years. This might have been the only time she ever got to be with him in a way like this. And she wanted to get as much as she could from it. She wanted to go all the way.

So when Percy was positioned to enter her for the first time and asked once more if she was okay with it, she bucked her hips against his, effectively showing him what she wanted. He let out a sort of growl and met her lips again as he pushed into her.

It hurt a little, but the pain wasn't unbearable. It was nothing like people had said it was. She didn't cry, but she did grab his shoulders in a vise-like grip, not letting go until she adjusted to the intrusion.

When she did adjust, he started rocking into her. All of her concerns slipped from her mind as their bodies moved against one and other.

Annabeth was enjoying spending her time living in the moment. And at that moment, _Percy Jackson_ was thrusting his hips into hers and she couldn't have felt more excited. His body above her was beautiful and she loved to watch the muscles in his torso strain as he shifted around.

He paid her _special_ attention, assuring that she was enjoying herself. And she was sure that her blush was not from her heated body at that point. Her hand reached up to caress his jaw that was clenched from the effort of holding himself together and she felt the slight stubble growing in. It tickled her hand, and she decided she really liked the feel of it. It turned her on even more when his head leaned into her hand.

Every time a noise escaped her mouth, one would leave his in retaliation. He seemed to like to hear her, but she just found the accidental moans and whimpers she let out embarrassing. She couldn't help herself though. The feeling was different from anything she'd ever experienced, and she didn't know how to express that feeling without making noises.

In a sudden burst of confidence, she let her legs wrap around his waist while throwing her head back. The noise he made at that, she thought had to be the sexiest thing she would ever hear. His voice had been husky and low and it was a mix between and growl and a groan. He plunged his face into the crook of her neck and spoke quietly against her skin. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but didn't really worry about it because she didn't think he was trying to be heard.

It didn't take long for her release to arrive. She held tightly onto Percy's arms that were boxed around her head. She squeezed his muscular limbs and let out a loud call of his name, while arcing her back into the air. Her soft chest pressed into his hard one and she could feel his heart pounding just as fast as hers was. He rocked harder against her with a renewed fervor and he kissed her even deeper than before.

Shortly after, she felt him let go, muttering her name repeatedly against her lips. She couldn't fight the stupid grin off her face for being able to make Percy feel like _that_. The way he had been saying her name, she knew she could never forget it.

When he came down from his high, he collapsed next to her, breathing heavily. Her stomach was twisting and turning with butterflies as she thought about what she had just done. What _they_ had just done. He pulled her naked body flush against his in a spooning position.

And it all just kind of hit her at once.

She had sex. Lost her virginity. And she wasn't even sure if she'd remember it tomorrow morning.

In all honesty, she didn't have the energy to feel any sense of regret. She knew she had to be coming down from the drugs, because she was suddenly exhausted and couldn't concentrate on any one thought. So she gave in.

She fell asleep in Percy's arms.

...δ...

_The sun is much too bright._

That was Annabeth's first thought as she woke up Saturday morning. The second thought was, _Whose arms are these?_

Thick, muscular arms encircled her body. Her _naked_ body.

Last night hit her like running into a brick wall at seventy miles per hour. The force of the memories that came back to her was so sudden that it made her head ache even more.

Annabeth got drunk. Swallowed a strange pill. And had sex for the first time. With Percy Jackson. Her _crush_.

_Holy Shit_ was her third coherent thought.

Taking a deep breath, she carefully slid out of his arms. He didn't wake and for that she was grateful.

Percy was still unclothed as he lay on the bed in all his glory. She could still see his taut bronzed skin pulled over hard planes of muscle. The stream of sunlight spilling in from between the cracks in the curtains hit his side and illuminated the tattoo she had seen yesterday.

On the underside of his left upper arm read one sentence.

_I am the architect of my own destruction._

Well, she didn't have a damn clue as to what that meant. Maybe she could blame it on her throbbing head. The same head that she usually relied on to make good choices, but had failed her irrevocably last night.

The remorse wasn't as bad as she thought it should be though. Some part of her couldn't bring herself to regret what happened last night, because honestly it was all she ever wanted.

A small piece of her brain was willing to admit that she was glad she had the chance to be with Percy. Even if it was just for one night, she didn't know how she would feel if she passed up an opportunity that she would never face again.

She could live with herself after last night. She didn't hate him and more importantly she didn't hate herself. She was okay.

Quietly, she dressed. She really had dressed like a class-A slut last night. The shorts were riding up her butt and her arms felt cold. She was only able to run a hand through her tangled hair before setting out to find Thalia.

It took much longer than it should have. But when she found her, Thalia was passed out in a lawn chair outside. The pool was littered with beer cans and different sets of lacy underwear. The whole backyard was a mess, but her best friend surprisingly looked worse.

Her black make-up was streamed down her face and her choppy hair was even messier than usual. It took several shakes and a bucket of contaminated pool water to wake the sleeping girl up.

"Turn off the light!" she yelled, throwing a fist in the air, narrowly missing Annabeth's nose.

"I would, but you're kind of outside, Thals," she told her, trying her best to fight the round of laughter she was feeling.

Thalia blinked and looked around, as if just realizing she was passed out in the backyard of the Stoll's house. She probably was.

"Well, damn," the girl said while stretching her arms above her head and yawning. "Last night was a fucking riot. You were one crazy son of a bitch yourself, Annabeth."

She blushed. Thalia didn't know the _half_ of it. "C'mon, we gotta get out of here. I'm kind of in a hurry, so let's go."

Arching an eyebrow, the punk girl rubbed her eyes as she stood up unsteadily. "Why the rush, Blondie?"

In truth, Annabeth was trying to leave before Percy woke up. She didn't feel like having an awkward after-hook-up confrontation. She didn't want to let Thalia know, she would feel slightly ashamed of herself. But she reasoned that if she couldn't tell her best friend, she couldn't tell anyone. And that was not a good thing.

"Well... I kind of had a one night stand, and I'd like to avoid whatever awkwardness and small talk with him that includes. So if we could leave now, before he wakes up, I would be eternally grateful." Annabeth rushed her words out quickly, not even sure if Thalia heard her.

But she did. Thalia lost her footing and almost landed in the pool. If it hadn't been for Annabeth's amazing reflexes, post-hangover mind you, Thalia would be swimming with the panties.

"W-What?" she spluttered, looking wide-eyed at her friend.

Covering her face with her hands, she replied, "You heard me."

It was quiet for a moment before Thalia said, "I'm so sorry."

The blonde was quick to snap her eyes back to her. "Why are you sorry?"

"It's my fault! I pressured you to drink, and now you've...you've gone impure!"

A fiery blush lit up her face. _Impure_, that's a new one. "Thalia, this wasn't you. I drank, but that wasn't it. I sort of took a pill from Steve in History class."

"What?" Thalia yelled. "Annabeth! Steve is such a skeeze-ball. What were you thinking?.. And what was it?"

Cringing, she ignored the pang in her head from the loud noise. She thought back to how stupid of a decision it was to take a random pill from a guy she barely knew. "I know, I know. But my decision-making skills were kinda out of commission last night. He said they were... Beans?"

Thalia's mouth dropped. "Annabeth, Ecstasy?! Are you shitting me, right now?"

And that was when she finally remembered what 'beans' was street name for. MDMA, or in other words, Ecstasy. All of her symptoms matched up as well. Lowered inhibitions, increased heart rate, increased body temperature, skin tingles, heightened senses... and _oh dear lord_ increased confidence and energy. How could she have not seen it before?

Sighing, Annabeth dropped her head into her hands. "I know I fucked up, Thals. But it could have been worse..."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Thalia hugged Annabeth tight. She needed her best friend right now. Last night, Annabeth probably made herself the laughing stock of the school with her dirty dancing and making out with boys and girls alike. She shuddered at the memory.

Mumbling against Annabeth's skin, Thalia asked, "So, who was the lucky bastard?"

She pulled back and gave her a funny look. "Sorry?"

Thalia rolled her electric blue eyes. "Who did you sleep with?"

And cue the next round of blushing. She shifted her gaze, avoiding eye contact. The toe of her converse scuffed the concrete of the poolside patio.

"Annabeth," Thalia warned, "Spill, or I'll check every room in this damn house for a naked man whose looking for you."

Blanching, she shot out, "Percy Jackson."

Thalia stopped. She just stopped. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open and closed, not finding any words to say.

"Percy Jackson?" she finally choked out. "Did I hear you right?"

Pursing her lips, she gave a silent nod. She didn't know how Thalia was going to react and she still didn't know what to make of it.

"Wow..." she muttered, obviously shocked. "I never would have guessed... Percy Jackson." Thalia let out a low whistle, and shook her head. "Well?"

Annabeth's eyebrows scrunched together. "What?"

"How was it?"

Choking on...air? Annabeth didn't know what to say. She was a stuttering and blushing mad mess. "Uh, well, it was..." she cleared her throat in discomfort.

Thalia gave her a look that said, _Spit it out, or I'll go ask him._

She decided the truth was the only way to get out of this. "Thalia," She raised her hands helplessly. "It was _great_."

"No shit?" Thalia asked, disbelief coloring her tone.

"Honestly, I don't even think I regret it that much."

She was quiet for a moment, before she snorted. "Well, cool."

* * *

**First Chapter! Hopefully the next update will be soonish, but I really don't know when it will be. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 3rd, 2014**_


	2. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

School on Monday was sure to be hell.

All Annabeth could think was that everyone would make fun of her for her less than respectable behavior. She even wore a hoodie to hide her face.

She was ashamed.

But when she got to school, all her fears and concerns were thrown out the window. As soon as she walked down the hallway before homeroom, students would clap her on the back and give her high fives as she passed by. She heard a few "I didn't know you had it in you," and "You have to come to the next one!"

Relief flooded through her body like heat in the winter. All morning, she had been called an _in-the-closet party animal_ and she was shocked to say the least. She hadn't expected to be so widely...appreciated for her lack of class at a party. It was a nice surprise.

Most of her classes went by similarly. Thalia had told her that nobody really cared about what people do at those kinds of parties. And suddenly, Annabeth felt silly for being paranoid. Why would they care anyway? Half of them were doing the same exact stuff.

Over the weekend, Annabeth had time to think over the whole 'Percy situation.' She didn't want him to feel obligated to pretend he liked her. That was for sure. The last thing she wanted was for him to hang out with her out of pity.

So she made the decision to let him off the hook. She wouldn't expect anything. For the sake of making it easier on him.

When she caught sight of him in the hallway that same Monday, he tried to approach her, but she didn't let him get far enough. She took refuge in a smelly girl's bathroom.

Maybe rejecting the pity wasn't all Annabeth was doing by hiding from Percy. She truthfully was a little scared of what would happen if they talked again. Would he tell her it was a mistake? That he was drunk and he regretted it? She didn't have the strength to hear him say something like that.

Ignoring him was her only option. She was fleeing from the problem. It wasn't like he actually cared about her, so it wasn't that big of a deal at all. She was a coward, but at the moment she didn't care.

She spent the rest of the day avoiding him. Everywhere. The boy was everywhere she went and he looked really determined to talk to her. It was definitely hard work staying away from him.

It almost looked like he was hurt each time she caught his eye. She wouldn't let herself believe that for long, though. She wouldn't get her hopes up. Annabeth didn't mean anything to Percy.

By the end of the day, she believed he had given up... until she saw him waiting at her car. She didn't even know that he knew which one she drove, but he was standing there, leaning on the driver's side door.

There was no way in hell she was going outside until he left. The weird part was, she _wanted_ to talk to him. Of course she did. She had been infatuated with him for years. And now she got the opportunity to actually socialize to him, and she bailed out.

This wasn't how she wanted to get to know Percy. Not after something like that. Something so frowned upon and scandalous. She hoped in all her heart that he didn't think of her as some kind of everyone-gets-a-ride hooker. She didn't want that at all.

Annabeth did the only thing she could think of at the time. She got a ride with Thalia. It might have been rude to let him wait out there for all that time without letting him know that she was gone, but...he really shouldn't have been so persistent. He didn't have to pity her. She didn't want it.

After that day, Percy must have gotten the message.

Because he didn't keep trying to approach her. He had given up on trying to talk to her.

But he would stare. He would watch her in the hallways and look at her with sad, kicked-puppy eyes. And she didn't know what to think.

Percy Jackson was notoriously known for sleeping around and she knew for a fact that he didn't pay this much attention to each one of his girls.

_His girls_.

That made her feel kind of gross. To be lumped into the category of all the girls Percy banged and forgot about. But he wasn't exactly trying to forget about her, was he?

This was what he wanted. Right?

...δ...

It had only been a a little over two weeks since the party. Nothing in her life had really changed. The hype died down and people didn't still treat her like the fricken nerdy-gone-wild of the century.

She studied every night and didn't miss one day of school. She aced each test that was put in front of her and kept up with all her extra-curricular activities. Her life went back to normal. And she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

But something occurred to Annabeth on this random Tuesday. She walked into her school's restroom and stood in front of the mirror, wiping the melting eye liner from under her eyes. Reaching into the front pocket of her back pack for her make-up pencil to fix the smudges, she felt plastic wrapping.

Pulling it out, she realized it was a tampon. Okay. Why did she have one when she wasn't going to use it?

Thinking back to just a few days ago when she put it in her backpack, she was confused. She hadn't used it? Annabeth always planned out her _times of the month_ and would prepare accordingly. So why did she have extra?

If she had one with her... Counting back each day in her head, she realized that she must have been late.

By five days.

But how could that be? How had she not noticed that she pretty much missed a whole cycle?

A thought crossed her mind and as quick as lightning, she pushed it away. There was absolutely no way that she could be... Nope. She wasn't even going to think it. It was so far out of the realm of possibility that it wouldn't do any good to dwell on it.

She had never been irregular in her monthly cycles before, so it was new to her. She had figured it was just a gift. Why question it? It wasn't like she _wanted_ the damn thing.

That last thought changed the very same day. Only a few hours later actually. When she was sitting in Spanish class, trying to ignore Thalia poking a pen into her back, asking what was wrong with her.

Annabeth was feeling nauseous. She hadn't been feeling sick this morning, but now it had hit her hard and out of nowhere. "I'm fine, Thals. Just feeling a little queezy."

Thalia scrunched her nose, but let it drop. Until Annabeth simply couldn't ignore her churning stomach anymore.

"¿Señora Williams? ¿Puedo ir al baño, por favor?" Annabeth asked her teacher to go to the bathroom, approaching the desk quickly.

"Sí, Annabeth," Señora Williams approved with a worried glance at her student's abruptness.

She ran from the room, ignoring Thalia's curious gaze, and made it to the bathroom just in time. Flinging open one of the stall doors, she heaved into the toilet. It continued until Annabeth was just about empty.

A hand had rubbed circles into her shoulders and held her hair back. The blonde turned around to see Thalia sitting behind her.

Annabeth was suddenly wishing for her period, as the possibilities started narrowing. It was easy to ignore this morning, but now that she had lost her entire breakfast down the toilet, she was starting to get suspicious of her own body.

"Were you sick this morning?" Thalia asked, jarring her from her worrying thoughts.

Annabeth silently shook her head no. She wasn't going to hide anything from Thalia. Her best friend was needed at a time like this.

"Thalia," the teenager started. "I'm late." Her voice was small and scared. She wasn't even grasping what the situation could mean yet. She didn't want to.

The punks eyebrows knitted together. She seemed confused as to why Annabeth was discussing her cycles with her at a time like this.

Annabeth watched as the realization of what she was saying dawned on Thalia. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. Her head shook in disbelief. The two girls stood up, and Thalia asked, "By how long?"

She bit her lip and counted back in her head before replying. "Five days."

Thalia sucked in a large breath. Her voice sounded squeaky when she spoke again. "Well, that doesn't mean anything yet. Let's not jump to conclusions."

"Thalia, I just puked my brains out after missing my period. I'm afraid it's time to start jumping to conclusions." The panic was starting to set in and her voice was rising slightly, sounding a bit hysterical even to her own ears. Thalia hushed her and pulled her into the handicap stall, clicking the lock behind her.

"Okay. So, this is bad."

Annabeth felt tears pricking her eyes, but refused to cry. Nothing was set in stone yet. "Didn't you use protection, Annabeth?"

Her head hung low in shame. She was supposed to be the smart one that made good decisions. What was happening? "I wasn't prepared. I didn't even think about it, honestly."

The punk's hands ran over her face. "You have to think about these kinds of things, Annie." Her voice was exasperated, but Annabeth knew that Thalia was trying as hard as her not to cry. They were best friends. This concerned them both. Thalia would never leave Annabeth hanging in a situation like this.

Her voice cracked as she asked, "What am I gonna do, Thals?"

Thalia's electric blue eyes softened until she couldn't play parent any longer. She tackled Annabeth in a tight hug and whispered, "We'll buy a test after school. And if it says that you're... _with child_, then we'll start freaking out. Okay?"

It was the best they could do at the time. She nodded, dreading for school to end.

...δ...

They stopped by a local CVS pharmacy after the dismissal rang.

Walking around the aisles, Annabeth didn't feel like herself. She never thought in a million years that she would be the girl in this situation. She felt dirty and wrong. She felt like a statistic. And it wasn't a good feeling.

Thalia stopped them by an array of pink boxes. Each one claimed to tell the mother 'sooner,' but Annabeth didn't see the point in that for her.

The blonde girl grabbed a box labeled 'e.p.t.' Or Early Pregnancy Test. The results were said to have been over 99% accurate and she really needed that. She needed something that was actually clear and simple in her life right now. A pack with two in it cost a little less than nine dollars, so she chose to buy this one. There was a rock in her stomach as she picked up the box, her hands shaking and her mind racing.

She looked over at Thalia to see that she had grabbed a basket and was filling it with every test that the store had in stock. At Annabeth's questioning gaze, the punk just shrugged and said, "Well, we want to be sure."

"I'm not gonna have enough pee for all of those!"

Thalia smirked while sliding the last box into the overflowing basket. Sauntering over to the refrigerated food sections, she plopped two jugs of water and a bottle of cranberry juice in the bin.

"Oh, dear lord..." Annabeth muttered to herself. She was in for a long night.

As they approached the cashier, Thalia dumped the whole crate of tests and drinks onto the counter. The woman was scanning each item in with a scowl on her face. She breifly looked up at Annabeth and scoffed in disgust.

The tips of her cheeks started to grow pink and she looked away from the cashier, avoiding eye contact. Annabeth had never been looked at that way. She was always seen as the prodigious girl that parents wanted their children to look up to. The woman assessing her like she was last week's trash made her eyes water. Stupid teenage – definitely not pregnancy – hormones.

The exchange didn't go unnoticed by Thalia, who looked about ready to pummel the rude lady. As said woman was appraising one of the boxes with a look of disapproval on her face, Thalia snatched the package from her hand, ran it over the scanner and proceeded to throw it in one of the plastic bags. "Thank you so much for your help. What's our total, so we can get out of here?"

Cashier-Lady's eyes narrowed and she read off, "Seventy-Six, Thirty-Seven."

Thalia whipped out her father's credit card before Annabeth had time to protest. She was honestly still a little bit in shock after everything that just went down. There was a feeling in her stomach like she'd just been kicked everytime she looked at the cashier.

They left as quick as they could and headed straight for Thalia's house. If it could be called that. It was _huge_. Her dad was an important guy, so she really wasn't all that surprised when she first found out that Thalia was _rich_. Thalia's house had become something of a second home to her over the years. A place a refuge when she was tired of all the fighting between her parents and annoying little brothers at her house.

Oh God... Her parents. What was she going to say to them? Nothing. She didn't even know if she really was... She still couldn't think the word. It would make everything all too real and she simply couldn't deal with it. There could be different explanations as to what was going on with her. She hoped, at least.

The two girls were stationed in Thalia's large personal bathroom. They sat on the edge of her jacuzzi tub and were studying the packages of tests.

Her best friend thrust one of the large jugs of water into her hands. "Drink," she commanded sternly.

Annabeth eyed the jug. "You want me to drink this _whole_ thing?"

"That, and then some more."

Bugging her eyes out, she exclaimed, "I can't drink that much! I'll explode!"

Thalia rolled her black coated eyes. "You won't explode. You'll pee. And that's what we want."

Tentatively pulling the cap off, she swirled the water around the jug before throwing her head back and chugging as much liquid as she could down her throat.

There were audible gulping sounds as the water sloshed around and was forced down. When Annabeth came up for air, the entire gallon was emptied. Thalia's brows were raised and she muttered, "Sweet."

Annabeth snorted. Her stomach was feeling like it was rejecting the intake, but when Thalia handed her the next jug, she mumbled, "For knowledge," and tossed about half of it down before she felt like she was going to puke again.

She groaned and Thalia handed her the bottle of cranberry juice. "Are you kidding me? I cannot. I simply cannot intake anymore."

"Cranberry juice is supposed to cleanse your insides and make you have to pee. And it's safe for preg-"

"Okay! I get it! Give it to me!"

Drinking the cranberry juice was enough to make her want to spew. And this time she was sure it had nothing to do with her...condition. If she had it in the first place.

Only five minutes later, Annabeth felt like she was going to burst. Thalia and her ripped open each box and laid out the tests in an organized line, before Annabeth would pee herself. _Such a bad idea_, she thought silently.

Annabeth took about nine tests.

"Wow. You really did have to go," Thalia muttered, walking in the bathroom after Annabeth had finished. She was looking at all the different little sticks lined up on the marble bathroom counter. Annabeth was sitting on the closed toilet lid with her head in her hands.

She was still having trouble coming to terms with everything. It was all happening so fast. This morning, she had been a normal teenage girl and now she was feeling like... like some number. A statistic. The more she said it, the more it became real. And she hated it. She hated being a part of a sum of girls that had made the same mistake. But that was what she could be now. A fuck-up and a disappointment.

Thalia must have seen Annabeth's internal struggle as she walked over and started rubbing her best friends shoulders soothingly. "Annabeth, calm down. Everything will end okay."

Lifting her head, she gave Thalia an incredulous look. "End okay? If those tests come out positive, then... Nothing will be right. My whole _life_ will be over." Her voice cracked and tears welled in her eyes.

"Annabeth, even if you are... you know, that doesn't mean your life is over. Things will turn out right in the end. There are options..."

There was an unexpected lurch in her stomach and for some reason, she _really_ didn't like the sound of that. "I don't wanna think about those kind of things right now."

"Okay. Whatever you want, hon. It's your choice." Thalia's eyes were sad and she glanced back at the counter. "I think it's time..."

Taking a deep breath, she stood up on shaky feet. Thalia guided her over to the sink and Annabeth let her eyes close. She wasn't ready for this. She couldn't do it. It was too much. Jerking away, she felt her hands shaking. "No. I can't do this, Thals."

Thalia placed a soft hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Yes, you can. If I know anyone that's strong enough to deal with something like this, then it's you, Annie. Whatever those tests say, you know that you have my support on your side. Whatever happens, I know that things will be okay in the end."

It wasn't very often that Thalia had to be the responsible one in a situation. It scared the shit out of her what that could mean. Everything was feeling painfully real at this moment and she decided that she needed to take control.

Squaring her shoulders, she approached the counter. Blindly reaching down, she grabbed the first test. As it reached her eyes, they scanned the entire stick for an answer.

Two pink lines.

Something inside of her just kind of...snapped. And she felt a full out freak out coming on. Her body went numb as she flung around the tests, reading each one.

_Plus +_

_ll_

_Pregnant_

"Oh my fucking God," she mumbled, reading each little stick over and over again. The results weren't changing. They were staying the same with their answers. Answers that all registered as positive.

Somewhere in the background, she heard a blurry Thalia exclaim, "Hey, this one is negative!"

Turning around slowly, numbly, she looked at the test in her best friend's hand. A smiley face was dotted in the middle. "That's positive, Thals." Her voice sounded foreign to her. It was small and quiet. She sounded like a scared little girl and honestly, that was exactly what she was at this point.

Thalia's eyes narrowed on the little smiley face stamp. "Who would be happy about something like this..?" She asked herself quietly.

Not being able to resist her best friend, Annabeth cracked a smile. And when Thalia looked up at her, obvious confusion set into her face, she laughed. It sounded choked and hysterical, but that was how she was feeling.

And then she was crying.

Not the silent kind of crying, that just had a steady stream of tears flowing gracefully down her face, but the loud and frantic kind that had her short of breath and choking. Sobs escaped her throat as everything hit her incredibly too hard.

Thalia rushed her into another bone-breaking hug, but Annabeth needed it. She needed the tightness, warmth, and God damn support from which this hug provided. Thalia hushed her, but the attempt was futile. Annabeth was like a crack in a dam. Everything was let out in that moment.

"I can't believe it," Thalia murmured into her friend's hair, disbelief dripping from her words.

Sniffling, the blonde pulled back and looked at the punk's electric blue eyes.

"I'm pregnant," Annabeth whispered.

...δ...

Annabeth went home that night feeling too many emotions to be healthy. And now that she had another _being_ to care for, she was taking everything she did into consideration.

She felt guilty, ashamed, sad, and so so angry with herself. She could blame no one else.

People looked up to her. She was supposed to be the perfect daughter and now what was she? She was a screw-up. There weren't many things that could ruin someone's life at this young of an age, but Annabeth had managed to do quite a few.

Sighing, she carefully slid out of her car. Every step of hers was coordinated and slow, because now that she _knew_ she was responsible for something so tiny and defenseless, she had to make it her priority to keep it safe until she decided what she would do with it.

She had no idea what she was doing.

Annabeth had spent the better half of her day freaking out and denying that she could be pregnant. Now that she knew that she was, she was freaking out and trying to accept that same fact.

Something told her that the next few months would be even worse than today was and that was saying something. She worried about what people would think of her.

Her parents would flip shit, no doubt. She'd be grounded until she was on her death bed. And the people at school... That was sure to be a surprise to them. Perfect little Annabeth Chase goes to one party and gets herself knocked up. What a joke.

And by whom? Percy Jacks-

Holy motherfucking Hell.

What was she going to do about Percy? How was she going to tell him? Oh God. What was he going to say? She not only ruined her life, but his too.

Annabeth really couldn't deal with this right now. A brief factoid sprung up in her mind from freshman year's health class. Stress was bad in pregnancy.

She was so screwed if she kept having to remember such little things like this. She didn't want to have to be aware of everything she did.

Taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, she got upstairs to her room and changed into a pair of sweats. Her bed was soft and inviting as she flopped onto it.

All she wanted right now was sleep and that was something she could give herself. After glaring at the wall for a few minutes, deep in thought about hating what she did to herself, she closed her eyes and surrendered to the exhaustion.

* * *

**There will be Percabeth sooner or later. It is promised.  
**

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

**PS: The pregnancy test scene was heavily inspired from a movie. I think it was _Knocked Up_, but I can't be sure.**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014**_


	3. The First Confession

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

As Annabeth woke up the next morning, she had the blessing of forgetting everything that happened the day before.

Until she lost her breakfast...again.

She was really starting to hate the whole 'morning sickness' thing. Frankly, she thought it would be more useful if anything she consumed could stay _in_ her body. And the hourly trips to the bathroom were frustrating to say the least. By now, she had memorized the pattern of tiles on the floor.

Annabeth wasn't really feeling _school-y_ today and she seriously considered just playing truant for the day. She went through a lot yesterday and she was quite deserving of a break. But then she realized that when she was _later in the process_, she'd be missing a lot of school.

She couldn't afford any absences right now.

Honestly, she had been kind of surprised at how easily she was adjusting. Her whole mind was working a different way than it had been last week. Everything she had done since she found out had been thought out beforehand.

Annabeth was a planner before the pregnancy. She was always responsible, but now it was to a different level. Her mind would constantly shoot back to the thought _I have a fragile __little__ human inside me_. And it was like her body would tense up and she would even _walk_ more carefully. It was weird seeing herself act like this. She figured that she would resent the little thing inside of her, but...

She thought it might have been built-in mothering skills.

_Mothering_

Holy Dolphin Balls.

Annabeth was going to be a mother. At seventeen. The thought jarred her enough to have her stumble in the hallway. She was still for at least five minutes before she decided it was safe to start moving again. She had to be careful.

The word tasted weird on her tongue. Mothering. Almost wrong. But that wasn't the right word. It just felt...different. Her whole life was about to change drastically over a span of nine short months.

It wasn't enough time to prepare for being a mother.

Her instincts were the only things guiding her at this point. She didn't have advice from her own mom, or a woman whose been through the same thing, or a doctor.

Oh. She definitely needed a doctor.

She wondered if pregnancy did something to memory. How could she forget something as serious as prenatal care? But by going to the doctors, she would need money, insurance, and paperwork.

Annabeth would need her parents.

A bad feeling unfurled in her belly as she thought about telling them. They would not understand. They weren't the caring, loving parents that forgive their children for their mistakes.

Her parents were about as strict as they come. When Annabeth messed up, it wasn't pretty. They were authoritarian. _My way or the high way_. And it seriously scared her to think of how she would tell them without getting kicked out.

But she _really_ needed to see a doctor. That was a necessity. Her baby was going to have the best that she could offer it until she decided on how she was going to proceed.

That thought steeled her resolve to tell her parents. Whatever reaction she got from them would be worth it as long as she was doing the right thing...as an adult. Or mother.

It still felt weird to even think it like that.

Taking deep breaths, she carefully walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her mom was making coffee in the pot, and her dad was reading the news on his iPad. The boys weren't awake yet, so she figured that it was the perfect time. If there actually was a perfect time to admit to becoming pregnant at seventeen.

Annabeth had never been one to put things off. She didn't procrastinate often. It just wasn't in her nature. But right now, she wanted to wait. Looking at her parents with their perfect house, perfect children, and perfect life...she didn't want to ruin it.

She didn't want to be the one that broke the image.

Too late.

"Mom? Dad?"

Her father turned to her with a smile. Her mother's eyes fell on her as she stirred cream into her coffee. "What is it, Annabeth?" Athena said. She didn't look particularly interested in the conversation. That would probably change soon.

Shuffling her feet uncomfortably, she took a seat in front of her father at the table. She scooted her chair back slightly, in case he took it poorly and decided to whack her.

"You might want to sit, Mom."

Athena's cold eyes narrowed at her daughter suspiciously. Though, she took a seat next to Frederick.

Annabeth bit her lip. She really didn't want to do this right now. "Uh... Well, you see, I- No, actually, Thalia wanted me to- Well, _you_ _guys_ are the ones who just _assumed_ I was availab-"

"Quit with the rambling, Annabeth. You're giving me a migraine," her mother said as she used her fore and middle finger to rub circles into her temples.

"Okay..." she muttered. Taking another steadying breath, she opened her hands in a helpless way. "I guess I took a few tests yesterday, and they all came out positive."

"So, that's a good thing, right? Why the long face?" Her father looked confused and she understood that she needed to grow some lady balls and man up. Er, _woman_ up.

"They weren't _academic_ tests exactly. More like, hormone based indicators..." She was pulling facts out of her ass at this point. Not her best attempt at manning up, but eh.

Athena rolled her eyes, "Annabeth, just spit it out!"

"I'm pregnant."

That shut her up. Whoops.

Frederick dropped his iPad on the floor, and a loud _crunch_ could be heard. Athena's face morphed into an unreadable mask and she went into the impassive mode that always scared Annabeth as a kid.

Her dad was the first one to break the silence.

And he laughed.

_Ooo-kay_

"Sweetheart," he chuckled. "You're a smart girl. You know very well that to become pregnant, you have to have s-"

Annabeth cut him off before the dreadful word came from his mouth. "Dad! I know how the baby-making process works!"

He shook his head. "Then how could you possibly believe you were pregnant?" Athena was still excruciatingly quiet, her face unblinking. Her hawk-like eyes scrutinized Annabeth harshly.

"Dad," she closed her eyes, preparing for the worst. It shouldn't have been this hard to confess. "I know how babies are made, and I'm telling you that I'm pregnant. I took a test, or few, yesterday."

Frederick stilled, as if it finally set in that she was serious. Slowly, he bent down and picked up his iPad. A giant web of cracks sprouted from the top right corner of the screen. That didn't seem to matter to him, though. His eyebrows drew together and suddenly, he looked angry.

"Who?" His tone was icy, and Annabeth knew exactly what he was asking. But there was no way she would be telling them that the father of her baby was Percy before she even decided if she was telling _him_ yet.

But she also couldn't tell them that she didn't know who the father was. Her dad would have a heart attack and Annabeth was already worried enough about her mom's silence. She didn't know what to think of that at all. It scared her.

"I'd rather not say..."

Frederick scoffed, "I don't think you should have a choice in the matter at this point. You have obviously been making some stupid decisions. Whoring around with random men, being the first." Ouch. That one stung.

"Dad," her voice broke. "Please. It was an accident."

"I don't want to hear it. That is a disgusting kind of behavior and I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed of you, Annabeth."

Oh God. Why didn't he just punch her in the face or something. "Dad-"

"I'm leaving for work. I can't deal with this right now." Her father stood up and stomped out the door. She heard the engine start up and tires peel out of the driveway before her mom spoke.

Annabeth was fully crying and she wanted nothing more than to just restart the whole morning and run away or something instead. She felt like she had been kicked in the face.

"I'm-" Her mother started, but stopped. "I'll set up an appointment with your OB/GYN. Go and get ready for school before you're late." Her mother's tone of voice was ice cold to say the least. The way she was looking at her daughter made Annabeth feel worse than the cashier at CVS did. Somehow, this was worse than her dad's reaction. Silent disappointment just oozed out of her mother.

Her shoulders were stiff and her posture was painfully straight as she left to go upstairs and wake up the boys.

So far the confession stage of teen pregnancy had sucked. And she wasn't even done yet.

...δ...

School sounded as about appealing as a hot can of sardines, but she had to make do. When she got in, Thalia was already waiting for her at her locker.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered with a pointed look at Annabeth's non-existent bump.

She really did have a terrible morning with her parents and losing her breakfast twice. But other than the emotional turmoil she was feeling, health-wise she was okay. She told her friend, "I'm good."

"Why do you look like shit, then?" Thalia was never one to beat around the bush. She was always straightforward. Something Annabeth really admired about her.

"I told my parents this morning." It was all she needed to say. Thalia had known her parents for years and knew exactly how they were.

Her look was incredulous, as if she couldn't believe Annabeth would have done this. "You just found out yesterday! You could have waited a little while!"

She shook her head. "No. I couldn't have. I need to go to the doctor. So, I had to tell them. They obviously didn't take it too well..."

"Oh God, Annabeth. You're a good mother already. I wouldn't have even thought of that... and probably would have been hiding it until it popped out."

For some reason, being called a good mother sent a rush of flutters through her tummy. She kind of liked the sound of it, and that was more confusing than anything of the past few days. It still was weird to refer to herself as a mother, but... after a morning of being a family's shame and disappointment, it felt better.

"I'm pretty sure Dad wants to disown me. Mom was worse though. It was like she pretended it wasn't even happening."

Thalia nodded. "I always figured your mom to be the silent anger type. She's probably planning your abort-"

She stopped short after seeing Annabeth's face. It was one of incredulous horror. "Please don't say things like that. You're making me nauseous again."

Thalia chuckled. "I'm guessing you've made a decision?"

Annabeth really hadn't thought of what she was going to do yet. All she knew was _that idea _was really making her uncomfortable. And she had no idea why. "Not really. But I've got time."

"Mmh. You say that, but nine months goes by like _that_ when you're growing a tiny human." Thalia snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her friend's arm as the bell rang. They didn't need to be late for class.

...δ...

A few hours later, Annabeth was in Spanish again. It was weird to think that just yesterday, she had been in this class not knowing that she was pregnant. It seemed like centuries ago.

Luckily for her, she wasn't feeling too nauseous today. Though she was feeling extremely fatigued and she knew that she'd be out like a light when she got home.

"¡Estudiantes! Escuchen me, por favor. Were going to check our homework with our clock partners. Pull out your sheets."

Clock partners was something totally stupid that the teachers came up with to encourage the students to work with kids other than their friends. Each hour on the students' personal "clock sheets" had a different person's name. The teacher would randomly pick an hour, and the student had to find their person that was marked for them. It was confusing and stupid and she really didn't like it. She just wanted to work with Thalia.

Señora Williams clicked her tongue in thought. "Which one haven't we done yet?"

Students shouted out tons of numbers, and Thalia screamed a loud "ONE." Even though they had done hour one at least a thousand times. Thalia and Annabeth were partners for one o'clock, so the blonde really didn't protest.

"I don't think we've done nueve yet, have we?" The teacher asked. Many students called out their answers. But they just answered according to if it matched with their friend or not. Annabeth glanced down at her paper and scanned for hour nine.

_Oh dear lord, please no_. She almost forgot that he was in this class. He sat in the back and he never spoke. _Please pick another number_, she silently prayed to the teacher.

"Alright. ¡Compañero Nueve, clase!"

Cue totally un-Annabeth-like whimper. Checking the paper once more, just to make sure, she saw it again. _Son Las Nueve: Percy Jackson._

She wondered if she sat here long enough without moving, she would disappear and Percy would find another partner.

She was out of luck as she felt him plop into the seat next to her.

"Ho-la," he greeted in a friendly tone, but pronouncing the word wrong.

Annabeth didn't make eye contact as she muttered a "Hey."

"I didn't actually do the tiara," Percy admitted.

She was confused for a second before she understood what he was trying to say. "Oh. You mean the _tarea_. That's okay, you can copy mine."

He gave her a grateful look as he messily printed her answers onto his worksheet. The class was loud as they compared their answers, but she couldn't hear a thing over her heart pounding in her ears. Annabeth was staring at her baby's _father_.

Holy Hell, Batman.

Startled when he cleared his throat, she looked over to him as he began to speak. "I saw you run out of class yesterday. Are you feeling better?" His green eyes were soft and Annabeth had to stop herself from swooning. Was he actually concerned? Probably not. But why did he ask then? She was going to give herself a headache with all this thinking.

"Uh, yeah. Everything turned out...fine." Lie. Total lie. She was pregnant and it was his. But you know, everything was fine. She was an idiot. God, this boy made her crazy.

"Glad to hear," he told her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she thought the conversation was over. She was wrong. _So_ wrong.

"I've actually wanted to talk to you," he started, handing her homework paper back.

She feigned nonchalance that she totally wasn't feeling. "Oh? What about?"

Percy chuckled, although it didn't sound like he actually found anything funny. "I think you know. You were running away from me like I was a Goddamn pariah."

Wincing, she opened her mouth to apologize, but he cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's fine. But I'd still like to talk to you about...what happened."

Annabeth nodded, not sure if she could use her 'big girl' words right now. Now that he had brought it up, she couldn't stop the flash of memories of his beautiful body above hers, fulfilling her every need. She blushed and mentally scolded herself for horribly losing focus.

He continued, "I know that people normally don't _hang out_ after a... well, a night like that. And I know that we weren't exactly in our right minds. But honestly, I really like you. I've felt that way for a while. Like, before the party and I wanted to know if-"

"¡Clase! Back to your seats, por favor."

Annabeth was going to shoot Señora Williams. Her eyes widened as Percy cringed and waved before dashing off to his seat.

That. Did. Not. Happen.

Seething, she glared daggers at the stupid teacher. She wasn't particularly sure why, but she could blame baby-hormones.

She could get used to blaming everything on her pregnancy.

But Annabeth had really wanted to know what Percy was going to say. It sounded like he was about to ask her out. And oh God, what if he did? She really needed to make up her mind about telling him.

Her mind was at war. Between, _what he doesn't know can't possibly hurt him or ruin his future_, and _it's his child and his right to know_.

Things like this were so hard. This was why teenagers weren't meant to have kids. Honestly, all she wanted to do was run home and watch a few episodes of Phineas and Ferb, chill out, and not think about the pros and cons of telling her baby-daddy that she had produced their child.

Wow.

And now the baby-hormones make yet their second appearance in the last five minutes. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. Everything was so hard, and nothing had even started already. She couldn't deal with nine months, Hell, _eighteen years_ of this.

Thalia turned around in her seat, noticing Annabeth's watery eyes and blinked, taken back, before giving her an awkward hug with the desk between them. It still felt good, though. The punk really was there for her. Through her shit, Thalia was having to work over-time in the best friend department here and Annabeth seriously appreciated all of it.

...δ...

Annabeth didn't get the chance to see Percy for the rest of the day. And in that time, she had made a plan.

In freshman year's health class, she had learned that the first three months of pregnancy were very fragile and unpredictable. There was still a large chance for her body to _dismiss_ the pregnancy. If her and the baby made it through the first few months, then...she would tell Percy.

He deserved to know. But she had also decided that if he showed any sign of potentially being an irresponsible father, she could change her mind about telling him. The last thing she would need was a dead-beat dad, leading her kid on - if she even decided to have the baby.

Her baby would not be abandoned if she chose to keep it. Annabeth had been considering adoption, but honestly, it had only been about a day since she even found out she was pregnant. There were about a million other things to think of and she shouldn't have had to worry about that right now. She should be worrying about doctor's appointments and prenatal vitamins to keep her baby safe.

And that was what she would do for now. Keeping her baby safe was her number one priority.

Wow, she was already starting to act like a mom.

...δ...

Athena set up an appointment with Annabeth's obstetrician for the next week.

Annabeth wanted Thalia to go, but her dad wanted her to go to some kind of business party with him. In other words, he would be hopelessly bored out of his mind and would want at least _one_ person to talk to at the shindig.

So now, all Annabeth had was her mother going into her first doctor's appointment. She was disappointed. And it just reminded her of how she wasn't older and married and doing all these things with her husband, like she should be.

For the last week, Annabeth's family had gone _silent_. Her mom and dad would barely speak to her. She felt like those shunned Amish kids on that one TV show on TLC. Every time she had a question or simple comment, it was either ignored or answered in short clipped responses.

She felt like an outsider in her own home and hated it. She hated that there was an elephant in the room that the whole family refused to acknowledge.

Annabeth was pregnant. Not going to prison for murder. But with the way her family had been treating her, you'd think she was a hard criminal.

So when they pulled into the doctor's office, after a long ride in silence, Annabeth was feeling pretty disheartened.

They stayed in the waiting room for what seemed like hours probably due to her anxiety. She was really nervous. As a seventeen year old girl - that had never even had a pap smear before - she had no idea what to expect.

When the doctor finally called them in, Annabeth was told to sit on the uncomfortable bed with the waxy paper.

The short man had black hair that was graying and pale blue eyes. His smile was kind as he greeted her mother and herself. "Hi. I'm Doctor Lewis. I understand that this is your first appointment with me, Miss Chase?"

After shaking his outstretched hand, she nodded. This man was her mother's obstetrician, so he only knew Annabeth from when she was a baby. That was a _long_ time ago.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Before Annabeth could reply, her mother spoke first.

"Annabeth thinks she's pregnant."

_Yeah, Mom_. Nine positive home pregnancy tests, and Annabeth only _thought_ she was pregnant. Okay.

Dr. Lewis' expression didn't change. And for that, Annabeth was extremely grateful. He didn't seem to be judging her or making fun of her. Athena took a seat in the chair off to the side of the room, looking disinterested. Like she had been for the past week.

"Alright, Annabeth. If you're anything like your mother, I know you're a smart girl. I'll spare you the preliminary questions and get straight to it."

Nodding, she felt a little warm at being called smart, even after what he just found out about her. Though, she was pretty sure she heard her mother snort under her breath. _Thanks Mom_.

"When do you think you conceived?"

Cue the blushing. Thinking back in her head, she tried to pinpoint the day of the party. "Uh, September 13th."

Dr. Lewis nodded and typed something into his laptop-computer-notebook-thing.

Did babies kill brain cells?

"When was the start of your last period?"

Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she answered, "I'm not exactly sure. It started a couple weeks before the...conception." The word sent a small shiver shimmying down her spine.

"Okay. So, what we're going to do is a take a urine sample. Now, what that does is tests for a certain hormone called _chorionic gonadotropin _that your body starts producing once the fertilized egg plants itself into the uterus. Understand?"

She nodded again. Annabeth really liked how this doctor took the time to explain everything to her simply, so she knew what was going on. It was very kind and she felt comfortable with him already.

Annabeth was brought to a small bathroom and asked to pee in a cup. Nothing she hadn't done before.

After placing the cup in the metal basket next to the toilet, she went back to the appointment room.

Dr. Lewis smiled at her and gestured for her to sit down again.

"To ensure that your baby is safe, I'm going to ask a few questions."

"Alright," she said. She didn't have a problem with it, especially since her mom left the room. To where, she had no idea. But she figured her mom probably wasn't happy to be in there in the first place.

"Okay. So, as you probably know, drugs and alcohol can have a very negative effect on a baby's health. Do you smoke, drink, do drugs, or anything similar?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head immediately. She only took Ecstasy the one time and it for sure wasn't going to happen again when she was pregnant.

"Do you take any prescription medications for anything?"

"No."

"What about any diseases, conditions, or disorders that you know of?"

Thinking for a moment, she said, "Well, I have dyslexia..."

Dr. Lewis cracked a smile and nodded. "Okay. Any symptoms of pregnancy?"

"Morning sickness, fatigue, missed my period..."

"Sounds about right. Did you take any home pregnancy tests beforehand?"

The tips of her cheeks blossomed pink once again, "Uh, a few. They were positive."

He smiled again and chuckled quietly. "Do you have any questions?"

"Not really."

After a blood sample was taken, that was used to check her glucose, iron, and hormone levels, as well as test for any STDs, she was finally done.

"Alright. Well I think you're all set, Annabeth," he clapped his hands as he stood up, and helped her off the bed. "Be sure to schedule an appointment when you're at eight to ten weeks. We'll get more in depth with everything. We'll give you a call when the test results come back in, but to me, it sounds like you already know what they'll be."

She laughed nervously and nodded. "Thanks Dr. Lewis."

"Anytime Annabeth. We'll get you set up with some vitamins on your next visit. Just remember to take it easy and not stress out. Stress is bad for the baby."

Annabeth was given a book filled with tips and advice for pregnancy as she left. She was looking forward to start reading it and actually understanding what was going on with her. Her mother was waiting for her in the car. The anxiety she was feeling before was replaced with something that almost felt like...excitement.

Her baby felt real, even if it was only a cluster of cells at this point. When the two got home, her family didn't speak to her as usual, but it didn't hurt as bad this time around. Annabeth didn't need to talk to them. There was a little human inside of her that was probably a great listener.

Shuffling under the covers of her bed, she placed a hand on her flat stomach and spoke out loud. It felt a little weird at first and she was kind of uncomfortable. To anyone else, she was talking to herself. But after a few minutes, she got into it. To Annabeth, she was having her first conversation with her child.

Her smile was confused, yet at the same time, she felt a sense of happiness.

* * *

**Is this cheesy? Kinda. Am I ashamed of it? Possibly. Do I love Annabeth/Baby bonding? YES.**

**Sorry if the Spanish was incorrect, it all came from my head and what I've learned in class for the past four years.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014 **_


	4. The Slip-Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Three days after her doctor's visit, Annabeth got a call confirming her pregnancy.

Her parents weren't happy.

Probably. Not from what she could tell, at least. They were still avoiding her at all costs. Even her little brothers seemed like they were afraid to look at her as if they might catch her pregnancy. _Thanks guys._

Annabeth tried to ignore the feeling of abandonment, and remember that Thalia was always going to be on her side. She was excited to see her today at school. After the long weekend where Thalia was away with her father at his business party. Annabeth never got to talk to Thalia about her first appointment.

Before she left, Annabeth made herself breakfast. It was always a meal that she used to skip, thinking that it was a waste of time. But now that she was growing her little human, she needed to be as healthy as possible.

But the cravings were starting to hit.

And how the hell was she supposed to be eating healthy food for her baby, when it was demanding a cheesy_ Nacho Bellgrande_?

She sustained herself on a breakfast of an egg-white omelet with whole grain toast. The nachos were still waiting in the back of her mind, but she did her best to ignore the poisonous thoughts.

Annabeth didn't know how long she would last until she caved and raced to the nearest Taco Bell. But for now, she was doing okay.

Getting ready for school was easy. No longer did she care about wearing clothes that reflected her upbringing and class. She chose a pair of yoga pants and a plain white V-neck shirt.

Her parents would have a heart attack and tell her to change if they hadn't been ignoring her. But since they were, Annabeth decided to stick it to them. She didn't care what they wanted, because she was comfortable. And these pants showed off her booty.

Baby made her rebellious.

She called a goodbye to them as she left, to which she thought she saw her dad nod, but she couldn't be sure.

Annabeth could pretend all morning that she didn't care about being shunned. She could keep telling herself that she was glad to be disappointing them with her outfit choice, but in all honesty, it all still kind of stung.

She used to be their prodigy and golden child. Their pride and joy and the apple of their eyes. But now all they saw in her was disappointment. And yeah, that kind of sucked.

Being pregnant made her emotions all out of whack, and maybe that was why she cried on her way to school.

She could now check mood swings off the list of symptoms.

...δ...

Walking into school, she wasn't surprised to see Thalia waiting for her again. As she approached the punk girl, another wave of giddy excitement washed over her again. She didn't get to talk about her baby in a positive light with anyone but Thalia.

She didn't know why, but all the negative attention towards the little thing inside of her was starting to get frustrating. At some point over the past week or so, she had realized that this thing was a _part_ of her. It was solely made up of her - and a guy that she had practically drooled over for years. She couldn't find it in herself not to love the baby, at least little bit.

Perhaps more than a little bit. Perhaps a lot more.

"So, how did everything go – with your dad's business thing?" Annabeth asked out of courtesy. She knew Thalia wanted to talk about the baby as much as she did, but their conversations would get boring quick if that was all they ever talked about. Well, boring for Thalia, at least. Annabeth could talk about the bundle of cells inside of her for hours. The baby was fascinating.

"Okay, I guess. Boring, as usual. It was in Colorado, though. So I got to see some pretty scenic views."

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah. I heard the mountains there are beautiful."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Okay. Now, moving onto what we both _actually_ want to talk about... How did your doctor's appointment go?"

Smiling, Annabeth couldn't help but to be relieved. She was pretty much bouncing around, wanting to spill everything to Thalia. This was her best friend. She wanted her to know everything. It had only been a few days since she had seen Dr. Lewis. But since the visit, Annabeth had needed to talk to someone; anyone. She needed to let some of this stuff out.

"It went okay. All they did was have me pee in a cup, so they could confirm everything."

Thalia raised her eyebrows. "Did they really need any more confirmation?"

Annabeth laughed. "I guess so. Blame my mom. I don't think she wanted to believe me."

"So..." Thalia started, fighting off the snickers. "What's the verdict? Did they call you back?"

The blonde shrugged nervously, a helpless smile fighting on her lips. "Dr. Lewis called me last night. I am definitely pregnant. About six weeks."

She didn't know what kind of a reaction she was expecting from Thalia. Probably a smile, or a congratulatory statement. Maybe even an apology or some form of pity would seem acceptable. It _was_ a teen pregnancy, after all. However, Annabeth didn't expect her to look... shocked. And even a little guilty.

This wasn't new information. So why was Thalia looking like she had just seen a ghost? Annabeth was answered when she heard a low voice speak up from behind her.

"You're pregnant?"

Disbelief was thick in his tone. His voice was familiar and she couldn't suppress her wince. Thalia visibly gulped. Whirling around, Annabeth saw who she had really hoped it wouldn't be. Unfortunately.

A little bit of his tattoo showed from under his white T-shirt and his jeans hung low on his hips. If she hadn't been in such a shocked state, she would have registered how attractive that was. But she couldn't. Not when he was looking at her with his beautiful green eyes widened.

Annabeth blinked. He was looking at her, probably expecting an answer, but she couldn't get her mouth to work. She wasn't through with the first trimester yet. What about her plan? "Annabeth?" he asked, his face taking on a look of worry along with the shock.

Taking a deep breath, she did what she had been doing for close to a month. She ran away from him.

Somewhere in the background, she heard him calling her name and his footsteps following after her, but it all sounded blurry.

She took off into the girls' bathroom once again. She hid in the handicap stall and clicked the lock shut, afraid to come out.

_Did that just really happen?_

Annabeth's back hit the wall and she slipped down, hugging her knees. Her breath was heavy and it felt like there was a bowling ball in the pit of her stomach.

Now Percy knew? He wasn't stupid... How could she have let that happen? He snuck up on her... What was she going to do? Hell, if she knew...

Too many questions danced in her mind, demanding attention. She was too exhausted to be dealing with this right now.

She hadn't realized she started crying until she felt the warm wet tears soaking her kneecaps through the stretchy material of her yoga pants.

At some point Thalia came in and knocked on the stall door. Annabeth didn't get up. She couldn't. There was too much going on at the current second and she was still trying to get a grip on herself. Her mind was racing much too fast.

Eventually, Thalia climbed under the door, straight into the stall. Without a word, she sat by Annabeth's side and wrapped her into a tight hug.

The tears came harder. She wanted to be mad at Percy for eaves dropping. For finding out before she was _ready_ to tell him. But she couldn't bring herself to resent him.

He obviously had to be wondering if the baby was his. How could he not? It wasn't like Annabeth was known for sleeping around. Quite the opposite.

And she suddenly felt bad for him. Annabeth had just put him in the dark about his own child. That wasn't fair.

She felt dirty, and wrong... and so terribly, helplessly out of her element.

Teenagers weren't supposed to be dealing with this stuff. She should be worrying about the SATs or the next debate club meeting.

Percy was probably in class right now unable to get the thought out of his head. Shuffling nervously and biting his lip. How could he concentrate with the news he'd just recieved? She had possibly just changed his life in the seconds that she talked to her best friend. And she had run away from him, like a coward.

It wasn't fair that Annabeth got to know just because she was the woman and therefore carrying the child. But what if he didn't want anything to do with her or the baby? What if he was thinking of ways to get himself out of the situation, right at this moment?

Percy Jackson wasn't known to be the soft and loving boyfriend type. He was a bad boy, not a father. Why would he want to involve himself? The other day, it sounded like he actually liked her... but that was before he found out that she was pregnant. She could only hope that he meant what he was saying. She had no idea about anything anymore.

She had no clue as for what to do. She was even more confused than before and that made things even harder. Pregnancy had her on an emotional roller coaster and every feeling she had seemed to be intensified.

Thalia and her sat in that bathroom for the better part of the morning. (Definitely skipping Spanish class.) And they just talked to each other.

In hushed voices, they lay sprawled across the probably germ-infested bathroom floor, talking about things far away from Percy. They stayed focused on teenage things. Gossiping and telling jokes.

At one point, Annabeth got hungry and pulled out a bag of celery and carrots from her bag. She munched on it as Thalia read news of Kim Kardashian's latest scandal off of her phone. When Thalia saw Annabeth, she snorted and made fun of her, calling her a bunny rabbit.

The two laughed and she knew that Thalia was trying her best to make Annabeth feel better. They knew that at some point, they'd have to leave the comfort of the bathroom, but for now, they had some much needed girl time. For now, they were just two best friends skipping class.

A couple of times the sound of the door opening scared Annabeth into silence, until Thalia yelled for whoever it was to get out and find a new bathroom. They both broke into laughter as the girls would rush out of the restroom. Thalia was intimidating when she wanted to be.

"I hate this stuff," Annabeth said, frowning at her chopped vegetables.

Thalia laughed, "Then why are you eating it?"

Sighing Annabeth explained the importance of nutrition for the baby.

"Yeah, well I say if that baby's asking for Taco Bell, we get it some damn Taco Bell."

Annabeth's strength didn't last long. She caved.

Thalia and Annabeth packed up their stuff, giggling and fully intending on heading over to Taco Bell. Taking off the rest of the day was the plan. Who needed an education anyway? Heh.

When they got to Annabeth's locker, though, there was a note left on the top shelf, looking like it had been crammed through the slot.

It was folded up and seemed like it had been ripped straight from a notebook. Written in messy scrawl and Annabeth had only one guess as to who it came from.

She couldn't read it.

Not yet, at least. She had just calmed down and if this was indeed a letter from Percy, than she needed some time before her next freak out. Emotionally and physically she was just about strained to the point of collapse.

Annabeth shoved the note into her pocket, trying to ignore the unease that coiled itself in her insides. Thalia gave her a sympathetic look as they left the school unnoticed by anyone.

...δ...

The _Nacho Bellgrande_ was delicious enough to make Annabeth want another one. She really had to restrain herself from approaching the counter again. There was no way that it could have been good for her.

By the time Thalia had opened her first taco, Annabeth was halfway through her plate.

Definitely couldn't have been good.

The note felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket. She desperately wanted to read it, but she knew she couldn't right now. She wasn't ready to know what it said.

Thalia had the great idea of spending the rest of the day in an old book store. To which Annabeth agreed to immediately. Thalia was good at cheering her up.

They spent what seemed like hours scrolling through books upon books about none other than pregnancy. The two decided to educate themselves, seeing as there was no one else to teach them anything.

With Annabeth's mother ignoring her, and Thalia's mom having passed away years ago, it felt like they were really left alone in all of this. The books substituted the knowledge from which could have been passed down from mother to daughter, but it really wasn't the same in all aspects.

More than anything, in that moment, Annabeth wished for her mother back. She didn't know whether to blame the sudden – yet expected, at this point – wave of emotions on her growing fetus, or the intensity of the situation. It was all too much. She'd like to see any other girl go through all of this and come out happy at all times.

Annabeth took a seat on the fluffy couch in the back of the dusty bookstore. It was not a _Barnes and Noble_ kind of store. It was dated, family-owned, and one of Annabeth's favorite places in the world.

It smelled musty and of old yellowing paper. The wallpaper was a terrible floral pattern, but she loved it dearly. The little clove she had sat herself in was dimly lit and extremely comfortable. Thalia took a seat next to her, dropping a pile of books on the floor below them.

Annabeth decided to start with a brightly colored book that said something about interesting facts of pregnancy. She was a sucker for facts.

"_Your feet may grow up to a full size when pregnant..._" Annabeth read aloud.

Thalia's eyebrows shot up in disbelief and she asked, "Why? The baby lives in the belly, doesn't it?"

"It talks about pressure on your feet and...something about ligaments. Too confusing for me to try and understand."

Her best friend chuckled. "Does it say anything about making you lazy?"

Very maturely, Annabeth stuck her tongue out at her.

"_Even if you're still in the early months of pregnancy, you might have to pee more, due to your uterus filling up with water and pressing on your bladder..._"

"Haha. Sucks for you," Thalia snorted. "Hey, I've got a good one from this statistics of pregnancy book... '_38% of moms reported their bellies getting hairier during pregnancy..._'"

Annabeth blanched. "That was a joke, right? It doesn't really say that...?"

The punk just laughed out loud. "You'll see. When your belly hair is more wild than the baby-daddy's head."

"Oh God..." She shook her head. Annabeth didn't want to start shaving her stomach. But it wasn't like anyone would be seeing it for a while now anyway. She was going to get big at some point.

"_Baby boys can get erections in the womb..._"

Annabeth gasped and turned to her friend with wide eyes. "Thalia! Don't say that! Babies are supposed to be innocent!"

Thalia just smirked. "It's in the book, Annabeth!" she said, pointing to a page she was reading. "Well, like father, like son..."

"Oh my God. If my baby is a boy, you've scarred me."

Her expression must have been really funny, because Thalia burst into laughter. "You look horrified, Annie!"

"Because I am! I don't want to think of my baby like that! He's a _baby_!"

"You said 'he'!" Thalia jumped up, pointing at her. "It's a boy!"

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth stood up and stacked as many books as she could in her arms to check out. "I don't know what it will be. And I won't know until much later."

"But your subconscious thinks it's a boy. And you probably won't be right, so... My money says that it'll be a little girl," her friend bet.

"Well, you've got a fifty percent chance of being right."

Thalia smiled like she favored her odds. Which were completely split. Annabeth didn't know what the sex of her baby would be. She didn't particularly mind as long as he/she was healthy. She almost scoffed at how utterly _mom_ that sounded. But it was true.

Checking out her books, she was content with the new information she would be able to get. It wouldn't be as good as the first hand information from her mom, but this was the best she could do.

Annabeth could only hope that at some point, her mother would get over herself and her petty reasons for being mad. Annabeth would understand if Athena was genuinely concerned about her future, but in all honesty, Athena was only truly worried about the family's image.

The thought made Annabeth sick. She made a vow to herself that she would never let something as trivial as an image come in the way of her relationship with her baby. And Annabeth would be having plenty of trouble with image sooner or later. When she started showing...things were going to get tough. She knew that.

People would make fun of her. They would ask questions she wasn't comfortable with answering, and would call her names behind her back – possibly to her face if she was lucky. (Note the sarcasm.)

But all of that, Annabeth could get through – would get through. She'd find a way. She had Thalia and she had her baby anyway. And that was all she really needed, right? She hoped so.

...δ...

Annabeth parked her car in the driveway, knowing that she could procrastinate no longer.

The curiosity was burning inside her veins, spreading like the yellow-fever. It was sickening her to the point to which she figured she would be really disappointed if she had mistaken this letter for an old homework paper or something.

But she hadn't. At all.

Pulling the crumpled sheet of notebook paper out of her pocket, she opened it gingerly, careful not to tear it.

The handwriting was obviously male and very unique. The words were cramped together and barely legible, but Annabeth could read it. She could definitely see what it said. In hastily scrawled pencil, the note read:

_Annabeth,_

_If I'm totally intruding right now, please try to understand why. Because I heard you say that you were pregnant. I'm sorry that I invaded your privacy. I really didn't mean to listen in._

_You and I both know that you're not a girl that's known to sleep around. I really didn't want to have a conversation like this in a note, but you kinda ran away from me in the hallway. Which I guess I can understand. You're probably going through a lot right now and don't want to deal with me and my shit, but... What I'm saying is that I know there is a chance that it's... that the baby is mine._

_I think it's my right to know. I know I don't seem like "Daddy Material" but that doesn't mean I don't want to be involved if this is my kid. This is my responsibility and it may not seem like it, but if your pregnant with my baby, than I want to involved. And I want to be able to have a say._

_Please try to understand. I am not really what people make me out to be. If you haven't told me about this because you're afraid that I won't be a good dad to your baby, or think that I won't care about him or her, please come talk to me. Because that is not the case at all. And honestly, I'm scared out of my mind right now, but that doesn't mean that I'll give up easily. __My mom went through the same thing you're going through right now when she had me and I know this has to be hard on you. I can help._

_Please give me a chance._

_Percy Jackson_

Holy sweet blessed baby of the virgin Mary.

Annabeth was getting really sick of crying today.

But now the letter was covered in her tears and she was still confused. He said he wanted to be involved?

Of course it was his baby, but did he really want to purposefully take on the responsibility that Annabeth wasn't even sure _she_ could handle yet? She was barely a month pregnant and it still felt like something new and undiscovered to her. How could he know so surely that he wanted this?

_Please give me a chance._

The words rang in her head. He wanted this. And she knew that it wouldn't be fair of her to keep it from him. She couldn't judge his parenting skills on what she knew about him from gossip.

Annabeth would admit that the letters sent butterflies dancing in her stomach. She had liked the kid for four years and now she got a letter from him, practically begging to be a part of their child's life.

Okay. That sounded screwed up. But he had also said that he had liked her before, and honestly, she didn't know what to make of that. She didn't know exactly what it meant, or if it was the truth.

She would deal with that later. What she had to focus on now was the next step. And that was talking to Percy.

At school, Annabeth would have to let him talk to her and she would have to come clean about everything. It shouldn't be too hard, now that she knew he wasn't mad at her.

Percy had surprisingly taken all the information well. Well, she didn't really _see_ his reaction. He could be lying awake at this moment, trying to figure everything out, just as she had been. It was a lot to take in and the _not-knowing_ must have been killing him right now. She didn't know what she would do if she was in his position and that made the guilt concentrate inside her even worse.

She briefly considered what could happen if she lied to him, telling him that it wasn't his. But the thought was annihilated as soon as it was formed. She was a lot of things, but a liar was not one of them.

The letter was sweet and it did make her want to give him a chance. If he proved himself unworthy, she wouldn't hesitate to take away his rights. She wouldn't let anyone hurt this baby, father or not.

Annabeth figured she could give him a chance.

* * *

**You guys were hounding on me, begging me to let Percy know already. I had planned for it to take _a lot longer_ for the confession, but you guys were getting restless. I thought you were gonna eat me. So he knows now!**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites. Thank you for reading!**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014**_


	5. The Talk

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Annabeth was a nervous wreck.

Last night when she read Percy's letter, she had decided to come clean with him. It was a lot earlier than she'd anticipated letting the truth come out, but she really couldn't keep him in the dark any longer, due to her small (huge) slip-up yesterday. She thought she would have a couple more months before she had to have this conversation with him. She was scared.

If a month ago, someone told Annabeth she would be stressing over the fact that she had to confess to _Percy Jackson_ that she was _pregnant_ with _his child_, she probably would have laughed and then punched them in the face.

The thought was so out there that sometimes she thought that she might just wake up on the floor of the Stoll's house one day, blaming all of this shit as some crazy dream in effect of the drugs she had taken at the party.

Sometimes she hoped for that.

She didn't even want to think of what people at school would be thinking. Annabeth Chase wasn't known to mess up. She wasn't known to sleep around, and God forbid if they knew she even had a civil conversation with Percy, let alone, _have sex_ with him, they would be astonished.

Annabeth had no idea why she had liked Percy for so long – at a distance of course. Before the party, she had probably talked to him a grand total of four times, and yes she had been counting. Sue her.

She used to think that it had to do with what Percy had. Not in a materialistic sense, but more like...his freedom. Annabeth associated Percy with the freedom he had to do what he wanted.

He was so incredibly off limits to her that it made her want him all the more. It is in human nature to want what you can't have, but that wasn't all.

She liked what he represented. Percy was comfortable in his skin. He did what he wanted, he didn't worry about college, grades, or what people thought of him. He was so free that _of course _it appealed to Annabeth. He represented everything she couldn't have, but desperately wanted.

Her parents knew who Percy Jackson was. He had been the subject of many dinner time conversations, always referred to as 'the Jackson kid.' It wasn't like Percy was a delinquent in the newspapers every week for robbing banks or affiliating with gangs.

They were just really in on their gossip. It seemed like every PTA mother/father knew who Percy was. Either their kids had been dated-and-dumped by him, or he was the subject of conversation due to the crazy (and sometimes attractively reckless) stunts he always pulled.

Percy was a troublemaker. A rebel. A teenage boy for Christ's sake.

Not a criminal.

But the way her parents talked about him, you would think he murdered Mother Theresa.

So when her parents brought him up, she stayed respectively quiet. They had no idea that their perfect daughter was interested in someone that they considered below them. (Insert disgusted scoff.) Her father would lose his shit if he had known.

If (When) they found out that Percy was the father of her baby, she would be disowned. She would be labeled a 'lost cause' and probably shipped off to live with one of her grandparents.

She didn't even want to think about what she would do when it came time to tell them. It wasn't like she would be losing much. They weren't exactly acknowledging her existence at this point.

Annabeth never could have foreseen this kind of betrayal by her parents. Because that was what it was in the end. Betrayal. They were leaving her alone in such a desperate time of need. She was only a teenager. They knew exactly how much she was struggling, but failed to sympathize with her.

She knew they would be mad - furious even, but she couldn't have known that _this_ was going to happen. It only strengthened her resolve to refrain from the same behavior. When she was a mom, she wouldn't let this happen. Annabeth never wanted her baby to experience the hurt she felt that was being caused by her parents.

...δ...

Seeing as Annabeth knew today was most likely going to cause severe mental distress and dread, she opted for an oversized, comfy, wool sweater and leggings to wear. If her baby could speak, they'd probably approve of the soft and loose material. It didn't suffocate her at all.

She didn't know where she could meet with Percy. In truth, she really didn't want to have a conversation like this in Spanish class. Especially when it seemed that he was extremely inept in the language and probably needed to pay all the attention he could.

She had planned on speaking to him during school, but now that she gave it some thought, she would rather have this conversation in a more... private environment. Not that a change of scenery would make it any easier.

Thalia was waiting at Annabeth's locker like usual. She had slipped Percy's note into her back pack this morning so she could let Thalia read it. Greeting her best friend with a warm smile, she immediately leaped into the news of Percy's requested involvement.

After briefly summarizing what she could remember, she gave the piece of paper to Thalia for her to read. Her expression ranged from excitement to confusion to downright shock.

"Percy Jackson wrote this? Don't let it get out. It would ruin his whole image that he's got going on," Thalia snickered. Annabeth could tell that she was happy that Percy hadn't acted like the asshole that they had been expecting from him.

"It's still weird to think that you slept with him. And this..." Thalia pointed at the note. "Is even weirder."

Annabeth smiled softly and gazed at the letter affectionately. Thalia still didn't know about how she had liked Percy before the party, so the look was quickly dismissed by the punk. Thalia would never truly know what that letter meant to Annabeth.

"I'm gonna talk to him today," the blonde admitted with a nervous smile.

Thalia's eyebrows rose in surprise and she nodded approvingly. "Nice, Annabeth. But remember not to take any shit from him. No more crying on dirty bathroom floors."

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth said, "I'll be fine."

The punk's bright blue gaze caught something behind her shoulder and she chuckled. "If you've got any more life-changing secrets that you'd like to blow, Lover Boy is on his way over here."

Annabeth's cheeks tinted a light pink as she turned around. True to Thalia's word, Percy was sauntering down the hallway, laughing and exchanging 'bro-shakes' with some of his friends. He was making his way down the corridor, seeming not to have noticed her yet.

When their eyes met though, his arrogance and swagger seemed to deflate. A certain softness took over, smoothing the hard lines on his face. Her chest swelled and her heart beat picked up. Trying to force herself to calm down wasn't working.

It was obvious that he didn't know if it was okay for him to approach, by the way he was watching her. He was probably thinking back to yesterday when she had literally ran away from him. Before she could lose her courage, she signaled to him.

"Percy," Annabeth called out, gesturing with her fingers, asking him to come over. The faintest of red still covered her cheeks. Thalia cooed at her, but she ignored it.

He looked relieved and shot her a small smile. People parted for him as he walked across the hallway to stand straight in front of her.

To Annabeth's complete shock, the tips of his fingers brushed against her face, feeling the heat of her blush. Smirking, he said, "Well, that's pretty cute."

She was horrified as her hands shot up to cover her even warmer face. Thalia laughed out loud. Smiling along with her, Percy apologized. Though it didn't sound like he really regretted it. "Sorry. I tend to be a bit...impulsive sometimes."

Clearing her throat, Annabeth looked away. She didn't know if she should be dying of embarrassment or swooning at the fact that Percy just called her cute. _Eeeek_

Thalia was still trying to suppress chuckles at Annabeth's discomfort and said, "I'm gonna head off to class. See you later, Annabeth. Percy." Tipping her head in acknowledgment, she left them alone.

Annabeth was suddenly scared again. Any amount of confidence she had a few seconds ago had grown legs and run away as soon as he touched her face.

"Did you get my note?"

Looking back at him, she saw that he was watching her intently. He might have been as scared as she was right now. Even if he was bad ass Percy Jackson, he looked vulnerable in that moment and it did funny things to her stomach to see it.

"I did." Okay. Not her best. But at least she got her mouth to work. That was a process in it's own.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he was beginning to look out of his element. "So..."

Sighing, she steeled her nerves and told him, "I was wondering if we could talk today. But I'd rather not do it at school, if you know what I mean."

He must have been hoping for a conversation with her, because he let out a breath and a small, relieved smile set on his full lips. "Do you like Five Guys? We can go during lunch time."

Now wasn't the time to let him know about her pregnancy diet – if she was still keeping up with it. Because, seriously, she was having dreams about the nachos from yesterday. She agreed to have lunch with him and left for class.

She could feel his eyes burning into her back as she walked away.

...δ...

By the time lunch rolled around, the mess of butterflies in Annabeth's stomach was starting to feel more like bats or really angry woodpeckers. Her insides were bubbly, fingers were twitching, and legs couldn't help but to tap on the floor to the beat of _Breezeblocks_.

Nervous ticks.

Her eyes darted up towards the clock approximately every five seconds and her teachers were even starting to notice her restlessness, _asking if she had to go to the bathroom_.

Embarrassing to say the _very_ least.

During Spanish, she hadn't talked to Percy, but he did give her a small smile that she returned unconsciously. She told Thalia about her little lunch date with Percy and for some reason, Thalia wanted to come. Annabeth wasn't going to let that happen. There were some things that she had to do on her own. (Even if they scared the wits out of her.) Thalia was just afraid that Percy could upset her best friend, and she wouldn't be there to hug it out with her in a bathroom stall.

But right now, she was walking out to her car, keys in hand. They were twirling around her fingers, keeping her occupied while she was trying her best not to vomit. She wasn't sure if it was the morning sickness, anxiety, or both. She was sort of wishing Thalia was here now.

Admittedly, ever since Percy had suggested Five Guys, that was all she could think about. Greasy hamburgers and french fries. A month ago, the thought of such food would have appalled her, but now... Oh God, now she was sure she was going to get a plate full of the stuff and just cherish every moment she got to indulge in the bliss that was fast food.

When Annabeth pulled into the restaurant, Percy was already waiting outside for her. His body was leaned up against the side of the brick building and his hands were shoved into his pockets.

He watched her get out of the car and approached her. "Hey," he greeted, reaching over to bounce one of her curls. Percy seemed to be the _touchy_ type.

"Hi," she told him, almost cramping from the jerks in her stomach.

He made her nervous.

They walked into the small restaurant together and up to the counter. Her mouth started to water and she couldn't take her eyes off the grills in the back. The cashier was a young guy and he was sort of cute, but Annabeth couldn't pay him attention long enough with the sudden growling of her stomach. She hoped Percy couldn't hear.

"What can I get you two?" The guy asked, adjusting the apron in front of him.

Percy squinted at the menu above them. Annabeth already knew exactly what she wanted, so she told the cashier, "Can I please get the Bacon Cheeseburger with mayo, pickles, lettuce, and grilled onions. And..." her vision rested on the fryer in the back. Her taste buds tingled. "Will I have a heart attack if I get some extra fries to go along with that too?"

The boy in front of her laughed and glanced around to see the fryer she was making bedroom eyes at. "Our fries are cooked in peanut oil. It's a lot better than the other stuff, I've heard."

She smiled and turned to Percy, seeing if he was ready to order. He was looking at her with an impressed expression. Raising his eyebrows, he nudged her shoulder with his, "_Nice_," he mouthed. Facing the cashier again, Percy nodded and said, "Same as her."

Cashier looked amused, but rang in their order. "You guys can have a seat. We'll call out your order when it's ready."

Thanking the guy, the two headed towards the dining area. As Percy was about to take a seat in the middle of the space, she tugged on his jacket sleeve and pointed to the back. He shrugged and they found a nice table away from the majority of customers.

Annabeth settled in her seat as Percy went to go fill their drink cups. She opted for a water, fruitlessly trying to tone down the fats and sugars in her meal.

When he came back, it dawned on her that this was probably going to be a moment she would remember for the rest of her life. Percy most likely already knew what she was going to say – she wouldn't have asked to speak with him for no reason. He sat into the seat and leaned forward slightly. His right hand ran through his hair, making the dark locks even messier – and if possible, sexier.

_Focus, Annabeth_.

"So, about what you said yesterday," Percy started, folding his arms together and settling his elbows on the table.

Annabeth didn't really know how to say what she wanted to. There wasn't really a _right_ way to do it anyway. She pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her hands and decided to be as straightforward as she could without losing her nerve. "I-"

"Bacon Burgers with extra healthy fries!" the boy from the front called out. Annabeth sighed and started to get up. Percy reached out and patted her arm down, silently telling her to stay.

He was back quickly enough, holding a large paper bag. As soon as he handed her the burger, she dug in, ignoring his amused chuckle. She was hungry and Baby was loving the smell of this place.

Percy looked anxious to start up the previous conversation, but didn't want to be rude. She helped him out by trying, once more, to speak to him without choking. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she took a deep breath. "Well, you obviously know that I'm pregnant."

He nodded softly and leaned forward again. His eyes caught hers and there was a kind of burning in them. She didn't know with what, but she knew that there had to be some intense emotions coursing through him right now. If this was hard for her, she didn't even want to imagine what it was like for him.

"Is it..?" He trailed off, a shaky finger gesturing at himself.

"Yeah," she breathed out. "It's your baby."

Percy let out a hard breath, as if he'd been holding it. His body stilled and a stuttering hand ran through his hair again. It came down to rub his face tiredly as his eyes stayed trained on nothing in particular, seeming lost to the world.

Yeah. There was no way she could forget this moment.

When he finally looked at her again, the burning in his eyes was back full force. They pierced through her and for a second she was lost in him. The greens and blues of his ocean eyes ebbed and flowed in waves of emotion. Thick black eyelashes framed the beautiful orbs, spreading out across high cheekbones.

He truly was beautiful.

Her heart stuttered as he spoke, his voice a velvety baritone sound. "I'm...so sorry." He shook his head and his expression pleaded with her. For what, she didn't know.

Thin blonde eyebrows scrunched together as she tilted her head slightly to the side. "For what?"

His hands spread helplessly and his mouth opened, but it was a few moments before he spoke. "This is all my fault." And the guilty tone in his voice let Annabeth know he meant what he said. He truly believed he was to blame.

Immediately, she shook her head. "No," her fingers motioned between the two of them. "If anything, it's both of our faults. We were both pretty messed up, and-"

"Annabeth." Percy stated with a firm tone. "This... This kind of thing is expected from someone like me. But, _you_," he shook his head, wincing. "You're different than me, Annabeth. You have a life ahead of you. Valedictorian, College graduate, a fancy job that pays well. Those things weren't in my future. But they're supposed to be in yours. Not a pregnancy with a fuck-up like me."

She flinched.

_Someone like me_..._ A fuck-up like me_.

That wasn't true. Percy wasn't a bad guy. He got into trouble and had a bit of reckless fun, but he certainly wasn't a criminal. She always thought that people didn't give him enough credit, but she never could have imagined that he didn't give it to _himself_.

"Percy-"

"You don't have to say anything."

Steeling herself, there was a flash of frustration within herself. "Well, I'm going to," the blonde insisted, dropping her hands on the table hard. "You're not a bad guy, Percy. I don't believe that. You don't get to blame yourself when it was just as much my fault as it was yours. We might be different in the way we live, but we're dealing with the same stuff right now. And that's what makes us equal in this. Whether I'm a valedictorian and you're a delinquent, we're both still teenagers that made the same mistake."

He was quiet for a moment, staring at her like he'd just won something. There was a certain awe in his gaze that made her cheeks flush. "So, with that being said...what do you think about all of this?" she asked before he could make her melt even harder with the look.

There was an audible exhale of breath coming from his mouth. He didn't make eye contact with her as he spoke quietly, "You know what I want."

He looked uncomfortable, like he might have been afraid that she would deny him the involvement he had asked for. Which made sense, because he didn't know that she had already made a decision in his favor. She started off slowly. "...I'm willing to do this with you if you're serious about it."

His head shot up and his dark brows raised almost comically. "Really?" Disbelief was clear in his tone and she almost chuckled. When she nodded, he broke out into a lopsided grin that had her chest swelling in affection. "Oh my God," he breathed, before laughing out loud. "I really thought you were gonna tell me to screw off. Of course I'm serious!"

Annabeth grinned broadly at his happiness. He was excited. To be a father. To _her_ child. "After the long speech I gave you about our equality, you still thought I wouldn't give you a chance?"

He shook his head and watched her for a second. "You're amazing, Annabeth. You know that?"

Baby must have stolen her filter, because as the heat spread to her face, she never would have said this before. "It's like you live to make me blush! You do it on purpose!"

Percy laughed out loud and went to poke her cheek, but she swatted his hand away, though failing to hide her own giggle. He brought his straw up to his mouth, sucking down his Cherry Coke. "So... how long have you known?"

Counting back in her head, she shoved some fries into her mouth. "Uh, my doctor confirmed it two days ago. But I've had suspicions for about two weeks."

As he watched her down the french fries, he handed her a napkin with an amused smile. "You must really like this place."

"Oh no," Annabeth said, wiping the ketchup off the corner of her lip. "I hated this stuff a few weeks ago. The baby's the one that can't get enough. I take it that they get it from you."

His eyes glinted with a look akin to pride. "Yeah?"

"You like nachos? Because that would explain a lot..."

Percy's laugh resonated off the walls of the restaurant and a few people looked over, but didn't say anything. "Nacho Bellgrandes are, like, my favorite afternoon snack."

She scoffed, "Great. I think you two are plotting to make me fat."

His line of vision dropped to her stomach. "When do you think you'll start getting big?"

"I don't really know. I was reading this book yesterday and it said that the baby is, like, the size of a blueberry right now. It'll take a while for me to grow a bump."

Secretly, Annabeth really liked his curiosity. It made her feel all kinds of warm on the inside.

"Wait," he said, bringing her attention back to him. "You're not, like, planning on getting an abor-"

"No," she cut in quickly. The word still didn't sit right with her and instinctively had a hand flying to rest on her belly protectively. An action that didn't go unnoticed by Percy.

"What about adoption?" He looked like he was trying to remain indifferent, but she could see his discomfort with the idea.

"I haven't decided yet," she said, honestly.

His lips thinned out and he looked uncomfortable again. She noticed that he did that when he was asking for something. "If it makes a difference, I really would rather not do that..."

She doesn't know why she had the sudden need to reassure him. But she didn't have control of her hand as it shot out and rested on top of his on the table. "Just so you know, your opinion does matter. We're in this together now. It's a decision that we'll make together."

And his smile at that could be described as nothing less than giddy appreciation. Sweet, happy perfection. His hand turned up and gave hers a squeeze.

In that moment, she knew that she had one more person on her side.

* * *

**Let me know if you didn't like their reactions to things, or if the characters don't seem solid enough. I was having trouble keeping Percy seeming like a bad boy, because he didn't really seem like one in the last chapters. So, if you've got some constructive criticism, it is accepted.**

**And I know that cravings aren't hereditary (obviously). It was just kind of cute. Anything else that I'm mistaking about pregnancy, you can tell me if I'm wrong. I've never been pregnant and I'm only going off of a Child Development class in freshman year, a health class in seventh grade, and lots of Google searches.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

**PS: Have you guys seen the music video for _I Wanna Be Yours_ by Arctic Monkeys? It's pretty trippy.**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014**_


	6. The Due Date

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Heroes of Olympus series, or Baby Mama. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

It had been two days since Annabeth and Percy's lunch at Five Guys. After they got back to school, he had given her a hug and his phone number, telling her to call for anything she could have needed. It was pretty sweet and had her fighting off a dopey smile.

He told her thank you about six times and really seemed to appreciate everything she had done for him – which wasn't much in her opinion, but hey, she wasn't complaining.

The warm hug with him expressed his thanks and eagerness to journey with her through this hard time. It made her feel giddy and flustered like a little girl and only served to remind her that her little crush on him extended into the dark abyss that was pregnancy. Unfortunately, her feelings for him wouldn't be changing anytime soon.

At school, Percy had started hanging in front of her locker in the morning and walking with her to her classes. People stared a little, but didn't really comment. Yet.

Percy had only known since Tuesday, but he had spent the past two days soaking up Annabeth's attention at school. His interest in everything was incredibly endearing, especially when he would ask her questions. Things like, "If the baby has had seven weeks to grow, why are they only the size of a blueberry?" or "Is it possible that the baby could come out with an extra arm or something?"

At the end of the day on Thursday, Annabeth went home feeling all kinds of warm. She loved being around Percy and although he was only hanging out with her because of the baby, she still enjoyed it immensely.

She spent the majority of her afternoon flipping through her new books and trying to memorize all she could about the do's and don'ts of pregnancy. Apparently she should stay away from soft cheeses and anything that was 'unpasteurized'. Whatever that meant.

Around five o'clock, one of her younger brothers, Bobby, came up to her room. "Hey, dinner's ready." He walked out before she could reply.

Sighing, she stood up from her bed and headed into the dining room. Dinner the past couple of weeks had been awkward and uncomfortable, and she had found herself eating over at Thalia's a lot more often.

She took a seat across from her brothers, next to her father. Her mother on the other side of the table stared at her until she was completely settled in her seat. "Are you ready now?" Athena asked with narrowed eyes. As if they were really waiting on Annabeth before they started eating. She nodded silently and reached to place some food on her plate.

There was a large grilled fish on top of a pile of rice. It looked delicious, but as she was about to cut herself a portion, a tip from the book she had been reading sprung into her mind.

"What kind of fish is this?" She asked her mother.

"King Mackerel with toasted garlic butter," Athena spoke mechanically, not making eye contact with her daughter.

Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her seat, biting her lip. "I don't think I'm supposed to eat this."

Her mother's intense eyes swept over her daughter and she huffed. "I suppose not."

Silence.

"Well, what do I eat then?"

Athena exasperatedly dropped her fork and gestured to the rice under the fish and spoke in an irritated tone. "I'm pretty sure the rice is safe."

The blonde quickly scooped a glob of it on her plate, trying to appease her mother. She felt uncomfortable and left out. Like she was intruding on their family dinner. She probably was. It didn't seem like they considered her a part of the family anymore.

The table was quiet as dinner went on. The only sound that could be heard was the clink of forks and knives against the porcelain plates. It was awkward. So terribly and undeniably awkward. Her dad cleared his throat and stood up, bringing his dish to the kitchen sink without a word. Even the boys refrained from their usual banter and jokes.

Unexpectedly, she felt a pang inside her chest. It was her fault that her family was distant and at odds with each other. Her mother was masked and her face was constantly hard. Her jaw line looked as if it could cut diamonds.

When she got up to her room again, she allowed herself a few minutes of self-pity before she scolded herself. Moping around would do nothing to fix the dissolving relationship she had with her family. If she wanted change, she'd have to make a difference herself. Not that she knew how.

...δ...

The next week, Annabeth was scheduled for another doctor's appointment. All Friday morning, she had been bouncing on the balls of her feet, failing to keep her excitement at bay.

Yesterday, she had officially become eight weeks pregnant and she was having her first official check up with Doctor Lewis. When she told Thalia at school, the girl immediately agreed to come.

Briefly, a thought crossed her mind. Should she have invited Percy?

As soon as the words clarified in her head, she rejected the idea. Although he had expressed interest in her pregnancy, a doctor's appointment _so_ didn't seem up his alley. And to make matters worse, her mother would be there.

Yeah. There was no way she could face her mother's reaction to Percy being the daddy of their baby. Not yet at least.

So when the dismissal bell rang, she quickly found Thalia and told her where the address of the doctor's office so they could meet up when they got there.

...δ...

Athena was already waiting in the car when Annabeth got home, looking hard and impatient. Shuffling into the back seat, the car ride across town was quiet and uneventful – as usual.

Arriving at Doctor Lewis' office, they were only about twenty minutes early. Thalia showed up a few minutes later, barely containing her excitement. Annabeth could completely understand, because if anyone was as excited than as she was, it was her best friend.

A little while later, a petite nurse with springy red curls stepped into the waiting room. "Annabeth Chase?"

Smiling at the girl, Annabeth and her entourage approached. The nurse escorted them to a small room in the back of the office. It was slightly different from last time, having more equipment and tools lying about the room. The chair had two extra parts at the bottom, looking like it was used for holding feet. Annabeth was scared of what all of the stuff was used for, but didn't think too much of it.

"Dr. Lewis will be right with you," The red-headed nurse said, while smiling and closing the door behind her.

Thalia examined a small metal contraption that sort of looked like a gun. "I wonder what this doo-hickey is for..."

"Don't touch anything, Thalia. You don't know where it's been," Athena told her, obviously knowing what the thing was, but withholding the information from the two clueless girls.

"Whatever you say," Thalia said, moving on to study a poster about safe sex. She chuckled and briefly glanced at Annabeth, "A little late for this, don't you think?"

The blonde bit her lip to hold back a snicker as Athena cleared her throat before giving Thalia a dry look. "Charming," she muttered, annoyed.

Thalia shrugged her shoulders, giving Annabeth's mother a not-so-regretful smile. The door opened then and Dr. Lewis walked into the room.

"Hello Annabeth," he said, grasping her small hand in a firm shake. "How are you today?"

She gave him a friendly smile, "I'm fine. You?"

"I'm great, thank you. Are you ready for your check-up?" He said as he pulled out the computer notebook she had seen last time.

A nervous laugh bubbled out. "Yeah, I guess."

Dr. Lewis greeted Athena and Thalia, making a friendly introduction to the latter. Thalia mouthed to Annabeth, "_He's nice. I like him._"

"So, Annabeth, before we start, do you have any concerns that you'd like to present?" Dr. Lewis asked, ushering her into the weird chair. She awkwardly placed her knees between the two footrests.

"None that I can think of."

"Alright. We'll get started with another urine test, if that's alright. It'll check for a urinary tract infection and other conditions as well."

After heading into the attached bathroom, she once again placed the small cup into the metal compartment when she was done and returned into the room. "If I had known they would make you pee, I would have bought more jugs at CVS," Thalia joked, poking Annabeth in the stomach.

"God no. I thought my bladder was going to explode."

When the doctor came back in, he told her that he was going to take her blood. "We'll check for your blood type and Rh status. Also, we'll test for other conditions. Such as anemia, syphilis, hepatitis B, and an immunity to rubella."

Annabeth nodded, while feeling like it was a bit too much to take in. Dr. Lewis must have sensed that, because he spoke again, "It seems a little overwhelming right now, but essentially, we'll just be making sure you don't have certain disorders that could potentially harm your baby."

Again, she nodded, and let out a breath. "Okay. I'm ready."

He opened a little box that had a bunch of needles inside. She had never been particularly afraid of sharp things, so it wasn't too big of a deal.

Doctor Lewis pushed a small needle into a big blue vein on the inside of her elbow. The blood traveled down a small tube, filling a capped vial. Quickly enough, the container had enough of the dark red liquid and the doctor supplied two more.

Storing the vials onto a small rack, he moved them onto a counter in the back of the room. "Alright, Annabeth. Now we're moving onto some of the more _undesirable_ stuff."

Gulping, she turned to Thalia. The girl shrugged her shoulders.

"We're going to start off with a thorough physical. And then, we'll give you a pelvic exam/pap smear. You don't have one on file, so I'll assume it's your first one. Don't worry too much about it." He handed her a paper patient's gown. "If you would put this on, please. I'll give you a moment."

He stepped out of the room, as well as Athena. Thalia stayed in, because in all honesty, it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. They were best friends for Pete's sake. Annabeth glanced at her friend with a pale face. "Pap smear?" She asked, her voice shaking.

Thalia grimaced and looked at the patient bed. "I get why it has those foot things now... So they have better access to your vag."

"Thalia!" Annabeth scolded, her once pale face now alight in a fiery blush. "Have some tact, will you?"

She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck as Annabeth dressed in her paper suit. "Sorry. But I've never had a 'pelvic exam.' Are you scared?"

Annabeth nodded and waved her hand in a 'so-so' gesture. "I'm partly freaked out, but mostly mortified. This _can't_ be pleasant."

Thalia smiled sympathetically at her friend. "It can't be that bad. Millions of girls do it. I mean, _sure_ it won't be fun having a doctor examine your hoo-ha, but... there's probably no way around it."

"You're right," the blonde sighed, tying the plastic belt around her waist. She hated wearing these stupid suits. They felt like they could rip at any second.

Doctor Lewis knocked on the door before peeking his head in. "All clear?" He asked.

The girls called out to him in a synchronized 'yeah' and the doctor walked in.

Without Athena.

Annabeth sighed. So freaking typical. She couldn't have squeezed one ounce of support for her. No, it really wasn't in her mother's nature to actually be a mother.

When the doctor asked if Thalia would be in the room for the examinations, Thalia – seeing Annabeth's reaction to her absent mother – replied with a graceful "Hell yeah. I'm all about this shit."

Annabeth tried her hardest not to laugh, but it was hard when Thalia was putting the effort in making her do so. Ignoring the sting in her eyes that Athena had caused, Annabeth let out the laugh and appreciated Thalia's presence in all of this.

The doctor wasn't kidding when he said _thorough_ physical. Every inch of her was poked and prodded. She was asked 'does this hurt?' and told to 'take a deep breath' about a hundred times.

As soon as it was over though, Annabeth was wishing it could have been longer. She didn't want to do the next part. She would take an agonizing physical any day over what she was about to do.

Not that she knew what was going to happen. She was seventeen and a virgin a little over a month ago, so all of this was new to her. She didn't know how pap smears worked, but she knew she didn't like the term 'smear' all too well.

She was told to relax as she got up on the chair again. Her feet were put into the stirrups and Thalia grabbed her hand, still grimacing. "It's cool. It'll be over in, like, two seconds."

The gray-eyed girl nodded and calmed down slightly...only to blanch as soon as the doctor approached her.

He was holding the weird metal gun tool that Thalia had been looking at earlier. And she couldn't even process what it was used for. She didn't want to know. Thalia's hand went slack in her own as she noticed it. "Shit," she muttered with wide blue eyes.

The doctor, catching the terrified faces of the two teenage girls, chuckled. "This looks worse than it really is."

Annabeth was still pale. She wasn't able to fully understand it yet. "That's- That's going _inside_ me?"

The doctor shifted uncomfortably. "It'll be over before you know it."

Her eyes closed in a silent prayer. "Oh my God," she whispered. Slowly opening her eyes again, she looked at her best friend. "Promise me you'll wear a condom your first time."

Thalia coughed, trying to hold back a loud snicker. "You'll be fine, Annabeth. This won't be the last time you do this either. I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"Get used to it?" Annabeth questioned incredulously. "Look at the thing!" It really didn't look inviting.

And when the doctor used it on her, it really wasn't.

The speculum wasn't painful. Just extremely uncomfortable. Cold and hard, and not pleasant at all.

But after it was done, Annabeth was relieved she got it over with. And damn, was she glad that Percy wasn't there. That in itself would have been enough for her to die of embarrassment.

He said that they would check for things with like cervical cancer and other abnormalities in her cells. She didn't care as long as she didn't have to do it again, for a long, long time.

Annabeth was quickly dressed in her own clothes, getting ready to leave. The doctor spent about five minutes explaining to her what was going to happen in upcoming appointments and what to expect in her pregnancy. He also gave her a due date and that had really perked her up.

Dr. Lewis gave her plenty of vitamins and prenatal pills. Lucky for her, they weren't too huge and terrifying like the one in _Baby Mama_.

They gave a quick goodbye and thank you to the doctor before leaving. In the parking lot, Thalia asked her, "Are you okay? Do you want me to give you a ride home?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. She's just my mom. I can deal with her for one stupid car ride." Thalia didn't look convinced, but ultimately let her go. Annabeth could handle her mother, she didn't need help with everything. A quick hug to her best friend, and she found her mom's car.

Sliding into the back seat, Annabeth greeted her mom. All she got in return was a small nod.

"I've got a due date. June sixth," Annabeth exclaimed excitedly.

Athena gave a curt nod, keeping her eyes on the road.

Annabeth hadn't planned on a parental competence confrontation, but she blamed her baby for the mood swing. She was suddenly feeling defiant and hurt. And she was about to give her mother a piece of her damn mind.

She was angry that her mom waved off her _due date _and left her when she was experiencing something as frightening as having an examination in her _downstairs_. This stuff wasn't easy and it wasn't like Annabeth had been prepared beforehand. A little support and help from her mom wasn't a lot to ask for.

So there wasn't anything Annabeth could have done to quell her rising anger and frustration.

"Would you just say something, already!" Annabeth demanded, slamming her fist into the passenger seat from her spot in the back of the car.

Athena's piercing eyes met hers through the rear view mirror. The sight unnerved her as usual, but she stood her ground. Never had she yelled at her mother before, but she believed that it was dignified. Crossing her arms over her chest, she waited expectantly for an answer.

"What do you want me to say?" Athena bit back, her voice hard and monotone.

"Anything, God dammit!" Annabeth stressed exasperatedly.

Her mother almost looked like she was about to stop the car, but contained herself. "What?" she yelled, actually starting to show emotion – although it was anger, it was accepted over the cold emptiness Annabeth had been experiencing for the past few weeks. "That I'm disappointed in you? That you ruined your life? That I'm ashamed of my own daughter? Is that what you want to hear, Annabeth?"

Ouch.

Annabeth had asked for it, and Lord, she got it.

"Is that what you really think?" the teenager asked, her voice shaking with kept emotion. Her heart was clenching and her eyes were stinging, brimming with the evidence of her true feelings.

"Have I not made myself clear? I didn't stutter."

Tears escaped her eyes unabashedly. She didn't care. She was hurt and she was most definitely not going to hide it. "Let me out of the car."

Athena's eyes snapped back to hers. "Annabeth, don't be an idiot."

"An idiot?" she whipped back indignantly. "No. I was an idiot for believing that you actually still care about me. I made one _fucking_ mistake in my entire life and I get treated like the Antichrist. I'm so over all of this. All of you. Now, _let me out of the car_."

"Wait a moment-"

Annabeth's hand shot to Athena's car door, flipping one of the lock controls. She heard the _click_ as the door unlocked. As swiftly as she could, she grabbed her bag and cracked open the back door of the car, ignoring Athena's protests.

Angrily, she walked in the opposite direction of the car, pointlessly swiping her sleeves at her wet cheeks. She could hear Athena calling her name, but she was in no mood to have a walk of shame back to the car. She was simply too prideful.

Her hand shakily pulled out her cell phone and she dialed in Thalia's number. They weren't too far from the doctor's office, but it was getting late. The sky was already dark and Annabeth lived on the other side of town.

Surprisingly, Thalia didn't answer her phone. Which was strange, because she was usually reliable. It was just Annabeth's luck that the one time she couldn't get a hold of the punk was when she really, desperately needed it. There was absolutely no way she was going to call her family – anyway, she saw her mom pull off already, giving up on getting Annabeth to return to the car.

She knew what she had to do. There weren't any other options, although she really didn't want to do this. Unlocking her phone again with familiar ease, she clicked on a contact she had only received a week ago.

It rang twice before he answered.

"Hello?" his voice was gruff and low as usual.

"Percy? It's Annabeth," she winced at the scratchy sound of her voice and cleared her throat to dismiss the obvious sound of crying.

"Annabeth?" his question was immediate and she could hear springs squeaking in the background of his call. She imagined he was sitting up in his bed, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion – or worry. "Is everything alright? Are you crying?"

She grimaced, feeling a little stupid and a lot needy. "Uh, yeah. Everything's okay... I just- I was wondering if you could give me a ride? I'm kinda stuck out here."

There was definitely more squeaking on his side of the line and she heard a door slam. "Where are you?" was his reply.

And she felt another whole round of stupid for asking him to do this for her. "I mean, you don't have to. I could find someone else if you're busy. It's totally fine."

"Uh, no. Not gonna happen. Where are you?"

Trying to roll her eyes, she couldn't suppress the jumps in her tummy when he said that.

"Mmm" she hummed while glancing around for a street sign. "Jamerson Street, off of Route 50."

"I'll be there in, like, ten minutes. Don't move. Don't talk to anyone. And keep your phone on you." He hung up after that, and she stared at the phone in surprise. _Bossy_, she thought to herself.

Annabeth's feet were aching and she couldn't even walk anymore if she wanted to. Taking Percy's orders into consideration, she stopped moving, finding herself only a block away from the doctor's office. There was a bench on the sidewalk and she gratefully plopped onto it.

In her spare time, she tried to fan her eyes in a futile attempt to tone down the obvious redness that was associated with crying. She felt sad, regretful, and honestly, a little hungry. But she did feel relieved at letting out some steam on her mom.

It probably wasn't a good idea to upset her even more, destroying anything that was left salvageable of their relationship, but it had been necessary. Annabeth wouldn't stand to be treated like scum, when in fact she wasn't. Not even a little bit. And neither was Percy, although she knew that her parents thought that as well.

True to his word, Percy was probably there in five minutes. She knew he had to have done some speeding to get there, but it was all water under the bridge. "Hey," he greeted her as she hopped into the passenger seat of his truck.

"Hi," she told him back, latching her seat belt. His radio was on, but it was low. Barely, she could register the song as _Flume_ by Bon Iver.

"You've been crying," Percy stated, carefully studying her. She tried to hide her face under her hair, but it was a mistake as he only reached over and tucked it behind her ear. The touch left comfortable warmth on her skin and she glanced at him.

"How can you tell?" she asked morosely.

His fingers brushed just under her eye. "You're all puffy and red."

Her lips formed a purse and she wanted to feel it to make sure, but refrained from doing so. "Oh."

He sighed, pulling back onto the street, driving slowly down the road. "Why?"

"My mom," she muttered, figuring that he would be able to understand how parents could be.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not at this particular moment."

"Alright. What were you doing on this side of town anyway?"

Annabeth cringed and she diverted her attention, taking special interest in the window. "I ...was at a doctor's appointment." She didn't know why she was guilty. It wasn't like they agreed on doing these things together or something. But still, there was a pang in her chest as she said it.

He was quiet for a moment and Annabeth thought he wasn't going to say anything. She wasn't so lucky.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I didn't think you'd care..." she tried weakly. He could probably see straight through her lie. It wasn't _all_ of the truth, exactly.

Silence again, until he broke it. "Annabeth..." His right hand came off the steering wheel and rubbed his face. "You know that I want to be involved. I can understand that you might be uncomfortable with my proximity, but I didn't expect to be invited – although that would have been nice too. You could have at least told me about it."

She winced. "Sorry. I was wrong."

Percy glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "I know you already know, but this is my child too. Please try to keep that in mind when making future decisions."

He didn't say it in an angry way, just in a sad tone that possibly felt even worse. Her heart ached for him and she felt guilty. Suddenly feeling the need to defend her actions – to him or to herself, she didn't know – she explained to him seriously, "I really am sorry, Percy. It's just hard. It's hard to please everyone and myself, while still trying to do what's right for the baby."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "It's not that I think that you're bad for him or her, but I didn't tell you, because... Please don't get mad at me for this. My parents' views don't express mine – I didn't tell you, because I haven't even told them that you're the father. They think you're a criminal and right now, they're not even _talking_ to me, because of getting pregnant. And it's been pretty lonely living like that. If I told them about you, they wouldn't understand what you really are. They'd ship me off to live with my grandparents or disown me. Or both."

He was quiet again, "...I didn't realize how much you had on your plate."

"Well, it's hard, but bearable. I can deal with them just fine."

Percy shook his head, dark hair falling into his eyes and he clenched the steering wheel tightly."Why do you even still live with them? They don't deserve your company if they're just going to ignore you. There are plenty of other places to go. I'm sure Thalia would let you stay with her and if not, by all means you can come to my house. My mom would welcome you in a heart beat. Don't ever think that you're alone in this." A certain kind of pleading crept into his voice and she shuddered at the sound.

"Thank you. But I can't do that just now. Could you drive me to Thalia's house, please?"

He nodded and took a left turn onto the highway, crossing into the other side of town.

It was quiet for a couple of minutes before Annabeth remembered something. "We have a due date, you know. It's the sixth of June."

Percy's face slowly broke into a grin, and for what seemed like had been too long, Percy rewarded the world with a laugh. The sound was bright and happy and her heart was melting at his feet. "Really?" he turned to her, green eyes luminous.

She couldn't hold back a laugh – and maybe a few tears, but hey, she was pregnant. She was allowed to cry when she wanted to. "Yeah," she breathed, wiping under her eyes.

His hand shot out to grab hers and he gave it a light squeeze. "This is so cool," he told her, happiness dripping from his voice. "June sixth. I like it."

That was what she had wanted from her mother. A reaction, if anything. But then Annabeth realized, why did she even need her mom? Percy was here and he was excited, and supportive, and just so effing great.

Who needed Athena when Percy was here and actually willing to be happy with her? Not Annabeth.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and I hoped you liked this chapter. Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

**PS: Have any of you seen that movie Baby Mama? It is so unbelievably funny, and I might make a few (cough, many, cough) references here and there.**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014**_


	7. The Gift

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Heroes of Olympus series, Pacific Rim, Juno, or any of the bands mentioned. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Percy pulled into the driveway of Thalia's huge house with a low whistle. "This place is so rad..." he muttered under his breath.

The house had two wings off the left and right side of the house. There was a large window in the center part, built into the stones. The two wings were made of stucco in a soft brown color.

As Percy's truck stopped in front of the big wooden door, he turned to her. She knew that he was still a little hurt that she hadn't told him about the doctor's appointment, but he was trying not to show it. Though, telling him about the due date did perk him up slightly. She knew first hand how things like that could make the baby seem...real. And it was a good feeling.

"Are you going to be okay? You could still come back to my house."

As much as she adored the offer, there was no way she could do that. They barely knew each other and it would be hella-awkward. "I'll be fine. Thalia's house is alright."

"I bet it's more than alright," he snorted. "But I just wanna make sure that you'll be okay here. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call me," he told her, poking her in the leg.

"Thanks so much, Percy. For everything tonight. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Don't mention it," he said, waving it off. "Now, go get some sleep. You look exhausted."

She probably did, though, she didn't really care. And she was hungry. But again, that wasn't new. When she told him about her new craving for pumpkin seed crackers, he laughed aloud, saying that he didn't even know they existed.

Oh but they did. And she wanted them.

Leaning over the center console, she gave him a half-hug. "Goodnight, Percy." She hesitated before slowly adding, "By the way...I won't be keeping things from you anymore."

Returning the hug, she felt his smile as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "Thanks. I appreciate it. Have a good night, Annabeth."

The blonde waved, hoping to all hell that her blush wasn't visible in the dark night. Stepping out of the car, she pulled out her key to Thalia's house and approached the door. She didn't even hear his truck move until she was inside of the house.

As soon as she was through the front door, she scaled the stairs, headed for Thalia's room. She knew she was there once she saw the door with a large crack in the wood, from when they were kids and Thalia's younger brother Jason knocked his hard head into it. The memories made her smile as she tapped her knuckles on the door.

Shuffling could be heard from the other side and then it opened to reveal a confused looking Thalia, who only looked more confused to see her best friend standing at her door. "Annabeth. Didn't I see you, like," she glanced at her non-existent watch. "An hour ago?"

Annabeth chuckled nervously, twirling a piece of her hair. "I got into a fight with my mom. I was wondering if I could stay the night?"

"Pfft. 'Course you can." Her best friend said, pulling her into the bedroom and sitting on the bed. "What happened? I told you to come with me... You're mom was in a hella-sour mood."

The gray-eyed girl took a deep breath before relaying her and her mother's fight to Thalia. When Annaberth told her about leaving the car, she gave her an incredulous look. "You walked here? That was, like, across town, Annabeth."

"I didn't walk here," she defended immediately. "I called, but you didn't answer."

"What?" Thalia pulled her phone out and clicked a few times before smiling sheepishly. "Oh. It's on silent. Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I gotta ride from Percy. He seemed more than willing to help out."

"Percy?" Thalia's eyes bugged out of her head and she grinned broadly. "Details!"

A little flustered, she told her, "It was nothing special. He picked me up and we talked a bit. He was upset that I didn't tell him about the doctor's appointment, but it's all okay now."

"You didn't tell him about it?" Thalia asked with dipped brows.

Annabeth huffed. "I didn't think he'd care that much. I was wrong. Jeez."

Sighing, Thalia stood up from her spot on the bed. "I'm hungry. Do you wanna get something to eat?"

"Yes," was Annabeth's immediate reply. Followed up by, "Do you have any pumpkin seed crackers?"

"What?" Thalia turned back to her. "No. What's wrong with you? I don't even know what that is."

The girls laughed as they entered the kitchen. While Thalia dug through her refrigerator for a slice of cold pizza, Annabeth dutifully looked through the cupboard for something healthy. In the end, she was left with veggie chips that Thalia's dad usually ate when he was on a health kick.

They plopped down on the living room sofa, flipping on the massive TV. Thalia wanted to watch some stupid sci-fi robot movie called _Pacific Rim_, but Annabeth convinced her to let them see _Juno_. It was one of Annabeth's favorites before she got pregnant.

And Annabeth was right in thinking Thalia would like it. The whole movie was hilarious and witty, making them smile. Indie movies usually did that. Her favorite part was when Juno's water broke and she screamed, "THUNDERCATS ARE GO."

After the movie was finished, they went into Thalia's room to go to bed, because really, Annabeth was tired. She was always tired. Her feet hurt and her eyes were heavy.

She was asleep as soon as her head hit Thalia's pillow, so fast that she didn't even get to hear her friend's amused laugh and coo.

...δ...

Annabeth was surprised at how much she despised going to school as of recently. Before, it was one of her favorite places to be, but now she just wanted to stay home and sleep. Or in her current situation, stay at Thalia's house and sleep.

She had stayed over at her best friend's house for the weekend without returning home. There was no way to tell how her parents would have reacted to her minor freak out. Her dad called once, but she ignored it.

He didn't leave a message.

Once she was ready for school the next Monday, her and Thalia left, stopping once by _Dunkin Donuts_ for one of their spinach egg-white flat breads. It barely had any flavor, but Annabeth kept her poor diet of last week in mind. Her baby needed nutrients.

When they pulled into the parking lot and stepped out of the car, Annabeth tried to ignore how conflicted she felt today. She was still nervy from the huge falling out with her mom the Friday before, but she also had shared some special moments with Percy. She hadn't seen him since then.

By the time she got into the school, her feet were aching again and she was still hungry from her lacking breakfast. But then Percy stopped by her locker, and she thought that school might have become slightly less heinous.

He stepped up close to her, bringing her into a brief hug, once again kissing the side of her head before pulling back. She decided that she liked this new interaction. A lot. In his hands was a gray plastic Walmart bag.

Percy shook it in front of her face and snickered, "Guess what..?"

Rolling her eyes, she pushed the bag out of the way and gave him a dry look. She didn't want him to know how utterly cute she thought he was being. After pouting slightly, his lips morphed into a nervous smile and he handed the bag to her seriously.

"This is for you."

Peeking in, she saw an orange box. Upon further inspection, it revealed to be a cardboard package with the words _Doctor Kracker Snackers_ written in large font.

Pumpkin seed cheddar crackers.

She didn't believe it at first. She looked at the box, then to Percy, and back to the box before throwing her arms around his neck. Laughing into her shoulder, he squeezed her back. "It turns out that they _do_ exist."

The blonde girl pulled back, smiling up at him. "Do you realize how cool you are for this?"

Shrugging, he gave her a small smile. "Gotta keep you fed."

Annabeth laughed, "I _was_ kind of hungry and..." she trailed off, ripping the paper seal off the box. She tore open the plastic bag and unceremoniously shoved a cracker into her mouth.

Instantly, she moaned in satisfaction, eliciting an amused chuckle from Percy. But she didn't care. They were so yummy - she ate it and loved every second of it being in her mouth.

After she was done drooling over the magnificence of the cracker, Percy walked her to class. He had been doing that often, so it wasn't any different. As usual, people watched on, only giving a brief linger of a look before returning to their own lives.

"Everything work out okay with your mom and what happened with her?"

She hadn't been expecting the question, but she answered honestly. "Not really. But I'm fine with it."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, obviously having trouble believing it. "Still don't want to talk about it?"

"Nope," she told him, popping the 'p'. He just laughed and shrugged, answering a quiet 'Whatever you say.'

Annabeth had been really surprised at Percy's small act of kindness and his general care about her this morning. It was so adorably sweet and she couldn't express her appreciation enough for what he'd been doing for her these past few days. She figured she could make it up to him and do something nice, because he had done so much for her already. She was excited to show him her gratitude.

...δ...

When an idea finally came to Annabeth on what she could do for Percy, she immediately knew she had a winner.

It was only a little over a week later, on Tuesday, that Thalia and Annabeth had been walking around the sidewalks downtown, looking through shop windows and stopping by little bakeries and coffee shops.

Annabeth was living with Thalia for the time being. The punk's father obviously didn't have a problem with it. He was rarely home and truly adored his daughter's best friend.

She wondered what he would think of her after he learned she was pregnant.

Annabeth's own dad called again a few days ago.

Again she ignored it.

Again he didn't leave a message.

The two girls passed a small shop with a large advertisement in the window for it's special on skateboards. Buy one board with a specialized deck, and receive an extra pair of wheels for free.

It was perfect. She knew that Percy was an avid skater and had recently told her that he busted his old board on a particularly nasty rail last month. His mom refused to buy him a new one, due to the fact that it would have been the third one in the last four months. Annabeth couldn't have picked a better gift.

Thalia gave her a curious look as she pulled the punk into the low building. The inside smelled suspiciously of pot and she had half a mind to hold her breath. Marijuana could _not_ be good for the baby. Ignoring the strange skunky smell, she glanced to the right wall. All different kinds of colorful decks were hung up on display. She knew she was in the right place.

In the background, she could faintly make out an old Nirvana song. _Heart Shaped Box_. Typical. It added to the grungy feel of the place and served to remind her that she really didn't belong somewhere like this. Her loose blonde curls and little white sundress were terribly out of place.

A boy not much older than herself with shaggy, bleached white hair approached her and Thalia – who still looked confused as to why they were in the store in the first place. The Green Day T-shirt clad girl blended in better here.

"Hey, what's going on?" the boy asked, hopping up to sit on the counter that Annabeth was standing in front of. He didn't seem too creepy and she figured that he probably worked here. His laid back smile and friendly demeanor made her comfortable enough to ask for help.

"I'm looking to buy a new skateboard," she told him, letting her gaze drift to the right wall. Thalia's eyebrows knitted and she gave her a strange look. Shrugging, she turned back to the guy.

He nodded and said, "Cool. I can show you some over here." The blond boy sauntered to the right side of the store where she had seen all the different kinds of boards.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" he asked her, stepping up to grab a hook that was used to retrieve the items from the wall.

"Not really. Just something that looks cool and will fit a six-foot teenage guy." Thalia's mouth dropped open when Annabeth admitted that. She looked on at her best friend with an incredulous expression and sly smile. Blushing, Annabeth ignored the knowing look.

The boy chuckled and went on to talk about sizes and lengths, but she really didn't understand what he was saying. He must have noticed this, because he laughed again. She used her hands to describe to the worker how big Percy was, and he guessed on size going off of what she told him.

Next, Annabeth got to pick a deck; the long wooden part of the board. She didn't want just a plain one. There were so many choices that she couldn't pass up the opportunity of picking one with...oomph.

It took about five minutes with input from both Thalia and the boy to choose one. The deck was so cool that she squealed when she finally decided on it. It was drew out with a trippy looking sun and water design, bold letters advertised the band _Sublime_ on the bottom. She knew for a fact that Percy liked the band and she was excited to give it to him. He was going to love it.

The boy, whose name she learned was Chris, checked her out and gave her a total of about ninety dollars. Though, Chris cut the price down to around seventy dollars because he thought she was pretty. She blushed to the roots of her hair and said thank you before paying. He laughed, seemingly liking to fluster people.

The free wheels she chose were a simple pair of gray ones. They weren't anything special now, but in the dark, they glowed a bright white.

Glow-in-the-dark wheels. Rad. (She was picking up on skater lingo.)

When the two girls left, they called out their goodbyes to the nice guy, Chris, they had met, to which he replied, "Come back again soon! Hope the dude likes his board!"

Annabeth hoped he would too.

...δ...

The following Thursday, Annabeth thought it would be a good time to give Percy the skateboard she had gotten for him. It was also the day that she turned ten weeks pregnant. _Squeal_.

Hauling the skateboard into school would have been awkward and strange, so she kept it in Thalia's car until she could find a good time to give it to him. The day was slow and she only saw him briefly in the morning when he walked her to class.

She was quickly becoming used to having him around all the time and was seriously enjoying it. She learned to convince herself that she didn't care if he was only doing it for the baby, although somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

They made good friends together. He was a nice guy with a really good sense of humor. Percy was always known to be cracking sarcastic jokes, or making fun of something. Though, his attitude towards her was always painfully sweet and endearing – painful in a way that she fell harder for him each time he even breathed in her direction.

Her situation was tough.

She was falling hard for her crush who also happened to double as the father of her unborn child.

He was normally reckless and troublesome, but when he was with her, it was like he toned down all of his teenage angst and rebellion to treat her like a princess. He listened wholeheartedly to what she said and always tried to make her smile. And, _God_, if that wasn't enough, he was so excruciatingly good looking that she sincerely hoped that their baby was an exact replica of him.

It was kind of weird to think that this baby would _be_ both of them. In the simplest form, their cells united and have been forming an offspring that was the product of just _them_. This human being was going to be purely Percy and Annabeth, nothing more and nothing less, and that fact still made her head fuzzy sometimes.

Percy's cells and chromosomes and genes were all connecting with her own to make their very own baby. It was mind-blowing.

...δ...

Walking into Spanish, she immediately saw Percy sitting in the back of the room, chatting with one of the Stolls. She didn't know which one.

One was supposedly taller than the other, but she couldn't remember for the life of her which one that was. It helped to just call them by their last name. She was never wrong that way. Heh.

She steeled herself before stepping up to his desk. When he caught sight of her, he gave her the same lopsided grin that he was known for, and she felt the familiar swelling in her chest. "Hi Annabeth." He waved at her, leaning forwards in his seat, showing that he was listening.

Suppressing a dreamy sigh, she glanced at the Stoll twin before deciding that she didn't care if he heard her ask Percy this. "Could meet me by Thalia's car in lunch today, please?"

Immediately, Percy nodded, messy black strands of hair falling into his eyes. She squeezed her hands in attempt to keep herself from pushing the hair back. She wanted full view of his ocean eyes; obscured by nothing. Even if it was his incredibly sexy hair.

"Of course," he told her. His brows scrunched and a small bit of worry shown through his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she told him quickly. Annabeth had seen how Percy could get overprotective at times, but everything was perfectly fine right now.

The bell rang and she gave him a smile before retreating the front of the class room where Thalia was waiting for her, face morphed into a smirk. "You so like him," her best friend muttered, once Annabeth was close enough.

Under her breath, the blonde whispered, "You have no idea."

...δ...

Lunch came excruciatingly slowly and by the time she made it into the parking lot, her tummy was a nervous mess. She stood by the trunk of Thalia's old sedan.

Annabeth didn't know why Thalia refused to use her father's money to buy a car – as he had been more than willing – but she guessed it had to do with her image. Rich daddy's girl and punk rebel didn't exactly go hand-in-hand.

She didn't have to wait long. Percy was out there as soon as she settled into leaning on the car. "Hey," he greeted, charming her with his smile.

"Hi, Perce," she told him, twirling Thalia's keys in her hand.

The black-haired boy reached over, poking her in the side, effectively making her giggle. "What did you wanna do out here? You don't plan on killing and hiding me in Thalia's car, do you?"

"Appealing, but not quite." Her eyes stuck on the bit of tattoo that peeked out from his left arm, under the band T-shirt he was wearing. She could make out, "_-wn destruction_." Her gaze drifted up, over the planes of his hard chest – a chest that she had gotten to know personally at one point – to the stretched material of his shirt. The band's logo read _Sublime_.

Holy baby Jesus in a manger, it was fate.

In a new burst of confidence, a large smile broke out onto her face. She popped open the trunk to the sedan and revealed the white box that held Percy's skateboard in it.

Quizzically, he studied the package before looking at Annabeth. "You wanted to show me a cardboard box..?"

The blonde chuckled and shook her head. "No, Silly. It's for you."

An amused, dark eyebrow rose onto his forehead. "You want to give me a cardboard box..? Well, in that case... thank you. I've always wanted one."

Rolling her eyes, she pushed his shoulder. "Oh, just shut up and open it, you little turd."

He laughed at her childish language, then stepped up close to the car. He slipped the top off the box, revealing the underside of the board. The glow-in-the-dark wheels were already screwed on and the deck's design was visible.

Percy's eyebrows knitted in confusion as he lifted it from it's spot in the package. Holding it in the air, his eyes widened as he studied it, realizing what Annabeth had done for him. She bit her lip in anticipation and he sucked in a breath, turning to her.

"...You got this for me?" There was a strange kind of straining in his voice, like he simply wouldn't let himself believe it.

She nodded tentatively, not understanding if he liked it or not. She hoped he wouldn't think she came off a little strong in getting him such a...gift.

He let out a burst of air, like a short chuckle. Disbelief was evident in everything from his eyes scrutinizing the board, to the heavy stance in his body. "I..." He shook his head, opening and closing his mouth, seemingly struggling for words.

Annabeth was burning with curiosity. She wanted to know what he thought. Like, now.

After an internal battle of finding the right thing to say, he appeared to have settled on something. He dropped the board into the trunk, only to tackle Annabeth in a bear hug.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she laughed as she heard him mutter a thousand 'thank you's into her neck. He pecked a kiss to the side of her head, and her temple, and then her cheek. "Why?" he asked, searching her face with a smile that could have blinded her.

She shrugged. "You've done so much for me, lately. I wanted to show you how much I appreciate everything. I know that you said you broke your skateboard, and I walked by this store downtow-"

The gray-eyed girl was cut off by Percy's sudden burst of affection again. He picked her up in another hug and spun her around, making her yell in protest – although she was smiling. She didn't really _want_ to be put down that much.

"You are so sweet," he stated, moving a curl behind her ear. "This is... This is great, Annabeth. Thank you so much."

Biting her lip again, she asked, "So, you like it?"

He spluttered, blinking his long eyelashes in rapid movements. "Like it?" He shook his head. "Annabeth, I love it. I mean," Percy pointed to the _Sublime_ logo and gestured between his shirt and the board. "It's kind of perfect."

The blonde smiled nervously. "I'm glad you like it, Perce."

Percy gave her a smile that she couldn't quite digest. It was so much. His whole face broke into an emotion that she couldn't clarify. But it didn't hold her attention long. What he said next, shocked her enough to make her blink and drop her water bottle she was holding. "Come again?" she asked him, leaning to pick it up, but being beaten by his hand that shot out to grab it for her.

Chuckling, he _repeated_, "I want you to meet my mom."

"That's what I thought you said..." she mumbled, still a bit shocked. "When?"

He hummed in thought. "How about Friday - Tomorrow?"

She nodded, not entirely sure if she was dreaming this or not. Meeting his mom?

Holy shit.

Last she heard, he hadn't admitted to her about the pregnancy. This might be it. She didn't know the woman and didn't know how she would react. All she could hope was that she'd be different then her own parents.

"Okay."

Annabeth was going to meet Percy's mom.

* * *

**Yusss. Sally Jackson is coming to town.**

**I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading. Tell me if you notice any discrepancies. I would like to fix them. Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014**_


	8. The Second Confession

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Annabeth wrinkled her nose in discomfort as the sun's luminous rays peeked in through the blinds of Thalia's window, directly hitting her closed eyes. Her hand lifted to block the much too intense light as she sat up.

Eternally glad that she wasn't feeling nauseous, she shuffled out of bed without the urge to lose the contents in her stomach. Glancing to her left, she saw that her best friend was still sleeping, tangled in a disarray of blankets and sheets. She chuckled quietly before throwing a pillow at the lump where she guessed Thalia's head would be.

There was a low grumbling in result that told Annabeth she had aimed correctly. She smiled proudly. "Wake up. We've got school in, like," she glanced at the analog clock resting on the nightstand, "thirty minutes. We're late."

The form on the bed shifted and soon a messy black head of spiky hair poked out from under the covers. A pout on her lips, she whined, "But I'm tired."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and climbed back onto the bed where she had been sleeping next to Thalia. She ruffled her best friend's unruly hair, laughing a little. "You need to hurry up and go take a shower before we miss first period."

Muttering curses under her breath, the punk girl stumbled into the bathroom. "At least it's Friday!" Annabeth called after her.

That was when the thought struck her. It _was_ Friday. Annabeth was going to meet Percy's mom after school today.

Instantly, her palms started to feel moist and her lips pursed in discomfort. There wasn't a way for her to skip out on it. She knew that, at one point, she was going to have to do this. But she hadn't expected it to be so soon. She wasn't even out of her first trimester yet – when she had originally planned on telling people.

But ever since Percy found out, a lot of things hadn't been going as planned. Not that it was a bad thing. She loved having his company and getting to know him better.

Meeting his mom – Three months ago, she simply could not have foreseen that. Any of this, really. Being pregnant was something that no one could have guessed becoming the fate of Annabeth.

Today, she chose to dress a little like her old self. Which basically breathed modesty. It wasn't like she had been planning on wearing short-shorts and a bustier, like some of the girls at school – it was November for Christ's sake – but she definitely wanted to make a good impression on Percy's mom.

As she looked through Thalia's closet for some of her clothes – she had always kept spares at her best friend's house in the event of a surprise sleepover – she thought for what seemed like the billionth time of what her baby's grandmother would be like.

She wondered whether the woman would be strict like her own mother, or maybe rebellious and troublesome like Percy. A vision of a pierced up woman with tattoo sleeves and bright purple hair flitted across her mind. Even though Percy was nothing like that, she couldn't help but imagine his mother as a metal-head. _Oops_.

In truth, Annabeth didn't care if Percy's mom was a crazed punk – her best friend was one anyway – as long as the woman was understanding and treated her better than her own parents at the moment. She could be a pirate for all Annabeth cared.

As far as she knew, Percy never mentioned a father. And there was no way she was going to ask about it, fearing it might be a sore spot for him. He would discuss it if it had any sliver of importance, and since he hadn't said anything, she would trust that she simply did not need to know.

Her hands flitted across the small chunk of clothing in the closet that didn't consist of band shirts and torn lace, and she pulled out a shirt she had bought from American Eagle. It was white henley tank top. One of her favorites. She combined it with a pair of black jeans.

Hanging a tan cardigan over her arms, she stepped into the front of one of Thalia's full body mirrors. The outfit was modest and innocent; the look she was going for. Clicking her tongue at her reflection, she stepped away to make a quick breakfast.

Sooner or later she would have to gather some more clothes from her old house. Or even buy some new ones. Who knew when her bump would start becoming a hassle to dress in the mornings? She had to be prepared for a sudden lack of fitting clothes.

A mix of healthy granola and cut strawberries was her breakfast, as well as a glass of almond milk. She was trying her very best to eat right, but as a teenager, all she wanted was to crack and go running back to Taco Bell.

The pumpkin seed crackers craving had been luck since they weren't all around too unhealthy. She had stopped by Walmart one day and picked up three more boxes. She wasn't keen on running out.

The sound of footsteps clapping on expensive marble floors alerted her to Thalia's presence. The refrigerator door slammed open and a low mumble of wondering why the house didn't have any food could be heard.

Annabeth chuckled and tossed Thalia the box of granola that she was eating. Her friend scowled at the box in distaste. "No thanks. I don't want any gross pregnancy food."

"Now, hold on," she defended. The granola was actually pretty good if it was eaten with the strawberries. "You haven't even tried it. You put it down, calling it 'pregnancy food.' But plenty of people eat this stuff."

Thalia looked like she was thinking it over, but the whole show of thought was sarcastic. Her fingers came to rub her chin and she squinted her eyes. "Nah," she decided with a smirk. "That shit is nasty and I want a breakfast burrito."

As Thalia sauntered into the walk-in pantry where there was a small freezer that held all sorts of extra snacks, Annabeth called after her. "You wont be seventeen forever! You're quick metabolism will be gone like _that_." She emphasized with a snap of her fingers.

The punk arriving back in the room shrugged her shoulders and shook some water out of her damp hair, splashing Annabeth as she popped the burrito into the microwave.

"Microwaves cause cancer, Thalia!"

"Shut up, Mom!" Thalia yelled back, looking thoroughly amused. "Your poor child won't be able to withstand this kind of torture."

Annabeth huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Her baby would be given the best most healthiest food she could find and they would love it. She just knew it.

The microwave beeped loudly, signaling the burrito was done. "Would you hurry? We're totally going to be late..." she spoke with her chin jutted out.

Thalia cooed, as she took a scalding bite out of her breakfast and immediately spit it out. Wiping her hand over her mouth, she spoke to Annabeth. "Don't be bitter 'cause I was right. I can eat this on the way. I'm an excellent one-handed driver."

Gulping, Annabeth ignored the comment and grabbed the keys to the punk's car. Thalia wasn't driving _her_ around with one hand on a burrito, as well as half of her mind. She saw how Thalia got when she ate.

...δ...

In front of her locker, she waited for Percy while switching out her books. She pulled the sleeves of her cardigan over her hands; a nervous habit she had possessed since the dawn of time. Thalia rambled on about how pointless school was and how much lip she would give her math teacher if she said one thing that remotely pissed her off.

Breathing could piss Thalia off. So good luck to Mrs. Getty.

Annabeth knew when Percy showed up because Thalia's face broke into the infamous smirk she always got when he came into conversation. It irritated her immensely. Sighing, Annabeth turned around to meet happy green eyes and a killer smile that kind of made up for the annoyance at her best friend.

"Milady," he saluted with a cheesy bow that for some reason heated her cheeks. "We still on for this afternoon?"

At Thalia's questioning expression, Annabeth explained, "I'm meeting Percy's mom today." It might have sounded pleased and happy to anyone else, but Thalia knew her enough to sense the fear and hesitance in the slight crack of her voice, or the quiet tone in her words. She knew her too well.

"Sounds like fun," Thalia inputted, shooting her a glance. Percy smiled like he agreed and suddenly Annabeth realized how much this actually meant to him.

This was big. Annabeth had only been worrying about what his mom would think of her, it had never occurred to her that this was a huge moment in Percy's life as well. He was revealing to his mother that he had gotten a girl pregnant, no less while they were still in high school.

He didn't seem _to__o_ horribly scared about it. Sure there were some of the nervous habits she was noticing. Running his hand through his hair, tapping his leg, biting his lip. But overall, he didn't seem to be afraid that either of their lives would come to a close by the end of the night, so that was slightly refreshing.

"So, I'll drive you over to my house after school. Meet me by my car?" He suggested, jerking his thumb in the direction of the parking lot.

"Sure. Sounds good," she affirmed, mindlessly twirling a strand of her hair. Although this might have been easier for Percy, she was still positively freaked.

"Hey," he hushed his voice slightly, sounding more sincere. His hand reached up and pulled hers out of her hair. "Don't worry too much about it. My mom... she's familiar with this kind of stuff."

The blonde briefly recalled Percy's letter he had written to her. He talked about how his mother had been a teen mom – a fact that Annabeth had forgotten until now. It was soothing that maybe his mom could be more understanding. Hopefully, she would get it and not think Annabeth was some kind of fifteen-cent hooker. She couldn't stand to think of her baby's grandmother thinking so lowly of her.

Inhaling, Annabeth gave Percy an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Perce."

He nodded, smiling back, a little glint in his eye as he studied her. "Anytime."

...δ...

At the obnoxious tone of the dismissal bell, Annabeth gave Thalia a quick goodbye at her locker and got lost in a group of people moving out to the parking lot.

In times like that, it was easy to pretend that she was just a normal high schooler again. That she wasn't dealing with shit that was way beyond the curriculum, and that she wasn't put hopelessly out of her element everyday as of lately.

She could pretend that at this very moment, she wasn't on her way to admitting that she was pregnant. To disappoint yet another person. One that she had never even met.

The night was already set to crash and burn.

Percy was leaning against the passenger's seat door to his truck. Someone was standing next to him, a boy that was in their grade. It looked to be someone familiar, but Annabeth couldn't tell who it was until she got close enough.

The infamous Steve from History class was trying to chat it up with Percy, who looked a little irritated. He was the same guy that had given her Ecstasy at the Stoll's party almost two months ago. What was he doing with Percy?

Approaching the two boys, Annabeth shot Percy a disapproving look. She would ask him about this later. "Steve," she acknowledged, a clear tone of distaste in her voice.

"Hi, Annabeth," he greeted her happily, obviously not catching onto her icy tone.

Percy's brows knit together and his face expressed confusion. Not everyday someone saw Annabeth Chase talking to a skeeze-ball like Steve. She rolled her eyes at that.

"You know Steve, Annabeth?" Percy asked, a strange stress to his words, like he was sincerely hoping she didn't.

"Yeah," Steve answered for her. He turned to the blonde and gave her a secretive smile. "I never got to ask you... How was your first jump with X? I saw you out dancing. You looked like you were having fun..."

Annabeth's cheeks flushed and she broke eye contact. She knew exactly what she had been doing out on that dance floor and was ashamed. His grin irked her beyond reason. Her train of thought was broken by Percy's low voice.

"What are you talking about?" Percy did not sound happy. Thankfully, his glare was directed at Steve. He only glanced at Annabeth, before pressing Steve again. "What about Ecstasy?"

Clearing her throat, Annabeth took a step back from the two boys. Because Percy looked like he was catching on and was about to throttle the guy. Her hand instinctively went to lay on her stomach, protecting the little bundle of cells that was her baby.

"The Stoll's party back in September. Gave her a little X. Never got to ask her how it went." The scumbag turned back to Annabeth with a cheesy grin. "So..."

Percy shoved Steve's shoulder and Annabeth let out a surprised squeak, taking another step back. "Uh, no. You don't talk to her." Focusing his attention on her again, he demanded, "Is that true, Annabeth?"

She nodded quietly, casting her eyes downward, not being able to meet his beautiful green ones that were probably swimming in disapproval.

"Hey, listen Percy. Chill out. She was only having a bit of fun. She thizzed out, danced a little..." he laughed before adding, "kissed a few-"

Steve's sentence was cut off by a sudden hook punch to his jaw. Annabeth gasped and yelled, "Percy, no!"

Said teenage boy was scowling intimidatingly at Steve, who was cradling his face carefully. Blood and drool was already starting to leak out of his mouth.

"What the fuck, man?!" Steve spat, scrambling out of Percy's reach.

Percy's sea green eyes were swirling in unrestrained anger. "Get out of here," he growled, glaring at him with such heat that Annabeth was scared for the sketchy little turd.

Luckily for them, Percy's truck was parked at the back of the lot and there weren't any other students watching onto the little altercation between the two boys. Steve heeded Percy's advice – more like demand – and scuffled away from them.

"Jesus Christ," Percy muttered, rubbing his face. He turned back to look at her. Annabeth's face was contorted into a guilty expression, she was still having trouble meeting his eyes. She heard his footsteps approach her, but she still refused to look.

His fingers delicately lifted her chin up, forcing her eye contact. "We should get going," he suggested softly. She was slightly taken back by his change of attitude. He pulled open the passenger side door and she gratefully hopped in.

She was scared of his silence in the car. They drove and he didn't really say anything. Though, she could see that he was jittery as his ADHD was acting up. His fingers tapped the wheel and his eyes shot across the road rapidly. She couldn't tell if it was about Steve or his mom.

Finally, she couldn't stand the silence any longer. "What are you thinking?" she inquired hesitantly.

His lips formed a purse as he turned a corner, swaying them to the side a bit. "...How much I wish I could have stayed and punched him around a bit more."

"Are you mad at me?" she blurted out without thinking about it. She really hoped not, because she would probably start crying. Her emotions were a wreck.

Percy's head snapped to look at her. "Why would I be mad at you? He was the one who offered that stuff to you. And I think we both know that you couldn't have been completely sober to have accepted it. He took advantage of your vulnerability and I really don't like that."

Annabeth shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

His face took on a weird look that she couldn't identify. "Are you?" he asked. "Are you really fine? Would you even tell me if you weren't?"

Before she could answer him, he continued. "Tell me the truth...Do you believe that I took advantage of you that night at the party?"

Her cheeks dusted a light pink, but there wasn't a moment of hesitation when she answered him.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I was willing. High or not."

Percy was quiet for a moment. Digesting what she had admitted. "I may have not been in my right mind, but I knew what I was doing, Percy. Just as I suspect you did. You didn't 'take advantage' of me because that would imply that I was some kind of victim in the situation. And...I really don't see it that way."

While one hand remained on the steering wheel, the other came up to rub his mouth in thought. He gave her a sidelong glance before speaking. "It's safe to assume we're friends, right?"

Once again, his question took her by surprise. "I believe so."

"Then I can count on you to tell me the truth..?"

A wave of frustration hit her out of nowhere. She wanted him to understand what she was saying, but he was just so obtuse sometimes. "Percy, if you think I'm lying about how I feel, then you are sorely mistaken."

"I just wanna know if you would keep something like that from me to, like, spare my feelings or whatever."

"If I resented you for what happened, then do you really think sparing your feelings would be my top priority?"

He chuckled a little, shaking his head. Relief was evident in his tone as he said, "I guess not." A thought seemed to have struck him as he stopped for a second. "Have you ever thought of joining the debate club? You're really good at proving your point."

Smiling, she turned to him. "I've been on that team for the past three years."

"Well, there you go."

...δ...

As Percy pulled into the driveway of what Annabeth could only assume was his house, she tried desperately to halt the quake of her hands. Her tummy felt overstimulated and nervous; a feeling that was becoming irritatingly familiar to her.

The house was a white, bi-level home with brick siding for the ground story garage. There were steps that led from the driveway up to the front door. It was an adorable family home. Definitely not... Percy-esque.

They slipped out of the car and he waited as she walked around it. Ascending the steps leading to the front door, Percy popped his key into the lock and opened it with ease.

He held the door open and motioned for her to step inside. The scent of the house was something she couldn't put her finger on. It was warm and reminded her of winter vacation, when she and her family would spend time sitting around the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate and eating Christmas cookies.

The painful reminder of home felt like an iron pole impaling her chest. The good memories were somehow worse than the bad ones; they stung more, leaving a lasting effect on her.

But she couldn't help but to breathe in the smell deeply. It might have been the only reminder she got for a while. She hadn't spoken to her family in over a week. They didn't make too big an effort to get her back. If she was unwanted, by no means would she intrude.

Percy told her to follow him as he led her from the foyer, down a hallway. At the end of the hall, turning to the left, there was a large living room with a cute little stone fireplace, providing the warm smell. Natural lighting came in to fill the room from a set of double doors that led to a back deck. There was a soft looking couch and a recliner seat that was occupied by a woman typing on her laptop.

Annabeth could tell this was Percy's mom. She didn't know why - they looked absolutely nothing alike. But there wasn't anyone else that would have been living with them. Unlike her vision, the woman was not a tatted up punk. She looked...normal.

More than normal. The woman was pretty. Nothing like she had expected, she actually reminded her a bit like Jennifer Garner. A kind face with a sweet smile.

Percy's mother wore her hair up in a messy pony tail, a pair of glasses sitting on the edge of her nose as she re-read whatever she was writing, silently mouthing the words to herself. Percy cleared his throat, trying to gain his mother's attention.

The woman looked up and her expression contained surprise as she saw the two teenagers standing on the other side of the room. She hastily stood up from her spot on the couch, fruitlessly trying to smooth out the wrinkles of her flannel shirt. "Sorry! I wasn't expecting company! Who is your friend, honey?" Percy stepped close to his mother, giving a light peck to her cheek.

Annabeth caught Percy's eye and hissed, "You didn't tell her I was coming?"

The raven-headed boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry."

The woman rolled her eyes at her son's antics. "Goodness, Percy." She turned to Annabeth with a soft smile. "Hello, I'm Sally Jackson. Percy's mom."

As the young teen shook Sally's hand, Percy introduced her. "Mom, this is my friend, Annabeth."

Annabeth winced at the word 'friend.' They weren't even dating. What would Sally think when she learned their news? That she was some kind of easy girl that slept around with everyone and wasn't even entirely sure if Percy _was_ the dad. The possibilities were endless.

"It's nice to meet you, dear." Sally gave Annabeth such a warm and motherly smile that she was forced to kick the jealousy she suddenly had for Percy at that moment. His mom was nothing like her own.

Percy's hands were all over the place - running through his hair, folding over his chest, clasping and unclasping at his sides. He was getting nervous again, which was kick-starting his ADHD once again.

"Mom... Wekindahavesomenews." Percy muttered out his words in a rush to the point of being incomprehensible.

Furrowing her brows, Sally chuckled quietly. "What was that, Perce?"

The teenager took a deep breath, his face morphing into a solemn expression. Sally noticing her son's abrupt mood change, took a seat when Percy asked her to.

He pulled Annabeth's hand to sit on the couch across from Sally's recliner. His hand didn't let go of hers when they sat down, something she chose to ignore until she had the freedom to blush without an audience.

Sally was starting to look worried, but she remained calm and dignified. Her back was straight and she seemed ready to hear out whatever Percy had to say.

It was like a breath of fresh air from her own parents. If Annabeth had something to say, her mother never had the decency to pretend like she cared. She would be told to _spit it out_ and _stop wasting their time_. Annabeth took this as a good start from Sally. But she still wasn't convinced they would get off so easily.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Percy grimaced, knowing that it was time to admit to his mother about the pregnancy. He looked over to Annabeth helplessly. "Uh," he started smartly, rubbing the back of his neck once again. She could practically feel the discomfort radiating off of him. "Mom, Annabeth is here, because we have something to tell you."

"Percy..." Sally was gradually becoming more and more nervous as the significance of this little meeting set it.

Clearing his throat, Percy tried to start again. "Where do I start?" His hands came up in a defenseless way. "The party?" he asked Annabeth in particular. She nodded quietly, her mouth clamped shut.

"So a couple of months ago, Annabeth and I met up at a party." An adorable rosy blush reached the tips of Percy's ears as he went on and she had to restrain herself from melting at the sheer cuteness of it.

_Focus, Annabeth._

"We, uh, did some stuff..."

Sally exhaled, "Percy, please. You're worrying me. I don't understand."

"Things that you wouldn't be proud of, Ma. Let's leave it at that."

"Okay..." She frowned, with a pointed look, telling him to continue.

Percy's hand flung to his hair and he pulled. Hard. "I'm just gonna spit it out, okay?"

"That's what I've been waiting for," Sally reminded him.

Wrinkling his nose and closing his eyes tightly, he confessed in a rush, "Annabeth's pregnant and it's my baby."

Silence.

Dead silence.

Sally's mouth opened, but no words escaped her lips. Her face expressed confusion until the truth in his words dawned on her. Furrowed eyebrows soon shifted upwards, arcing to the point of almost reaching her hairline. The enormity of the situation finally became apparent to Sally and she gasped.

"No. Percy, you aren't being serious."

His expression was pained. "Mom, I'm so sorry."

She shook her head, covering her mouth with her delicate fingers. "Oh no. Sweetie, what have you done?"

Annabeth was silent in all of this. She didn't know what to say. What she _could_ say. Nothing could fix what they did.

"How far long are you?" Sally inquired, speaking to Annabeth now. She was surprised that the woman's crystal blue eyes held no hatred or judgment. Just what seemed to be concern and possibly some sympathy.

"Ten weeks," she responded, her voice small and weak. She mentally scolded herself for acting like such a child, but she was scared. In truth, she would do anything to go back to her days in the simplicity of childhood. Percy, still holding her hand, gave it a small squeeze.

"Wow," Sally murmured. "Are you seeing a doctor? Are you taking prenatal vitamins?"

"Yes," Annabeth told her. "I had my last check-up on the twenty-fifth. My next one is in two weeks."

"Okay," she breathed. "Well, that's good. But do you guys have a plan? Are you keeping the baby? Have you guys thought about school? What about money? Are you going to get a job, Percy? Where's the baby going to live?"

That was a lot of questions. It took her a while to sort them all out in her head and when she did, she felt embarrassed for not thinking of any of it yet. There was just _so_ much to think about when you were having a baby.

"She's only like, less then three months pregnant. Why do we have to worry about that right now?" Percy asked his mother, a frown etched into his handsome face.

Sally sighed, shaking her head lightly. "You need to be prepared, Perce. You know how much babies cost? Too much. You need to save all the money you can. And you guys _definitely_ need a plan."

Percy groaned. "I don't wanna get a job, Ma. I always get fired."

The mother tutted at Percy. "You're going to have to figure that out. Becoming a parent is about responsibility. And part of that is being able to hold a job for longer than a week. Think about your baby. Do you really want them going hungry? Possibly being taken away from you by Child Protective Services?"

His demeanor changed, and suddenly, he got defensive. "That's not going to happen," he gritted out.

"I'm not saying you'll be a bad father. You just have to think about these things."

He calmed down slightly, slumping back into the couch. "What are we gonna do?"

His mom gave him a sad smile. "That's what you have to figure out, honey." Turning to Annabeth, she spoke softly. "Do your parents know, Annabeth?"

"Yes," she said. "They've known for a while."

"How did they take it?" Sally questioned, showing general concern that made Annabeth almost want to cry.

"Not very good," the blonde muttered, looking away. "We haven't been on the best of terms lately." At Sally's questioning look, she elaborated. "I got into a fight with my mom and I haven't spoken with my family in over a week."

"That's terrible," The woman murmured sorrowfully. Sally stood up to give Annabeth a hug. She guessed that it was to make her feel better, so she didn't deny it. At all. She never got this kind of loving attention at home and it felt _really_ good.

"How are you feeling?" Percy's mom asked, pulling back and searching her face as if Annabeth's symptoms would be printed onto her forehead.

"I'm good. Just a little fatigued," she answered, mindlessly laying a hand onto the spot where her baby would be – something that didn't go unnoticed by either of the Jackson's.

"That will get easier. Just make sure you get some rest."

Annabeth nodded as Sally turned to her son again.

"This is going to be hard, Percy. If you plan on keeping this baby, I expect you to step up to the plate. No more messing around... I'll start picking up job applications tomorrow."

Percy sighed despairingly, obviously hating the idea of getting another job when he had so many bad experiences with them. "Alright, Mom."

Sally stepped forward, hugging her son as well. She whispered some things in his ear to which Percy nodded seriously, thanking her.

With that, his mother stood up, collecting her things from the couch. "I have a meeting with my editor tonight, so I have to be on my way. This will have to continue later – and it will. So, don't think you're getting off that easy, Percy. And it was nice meeting you, Annabeth."

Sally gave her one more lasting hug, whispering to her, "Everything is gonna be okay, sweetheart. You have all the support you need, right here in this home. Just remember that."

She left in a hurry, mumbling about her son dropping a bomb on her, and how in the world she was going to be able to focus, as she walked out the door. Chuckling lightly, Annabeth plopped back down onto the couch.

She was tired, her feet were killing her, and she had a new symptom that popped in out of nowhere. Heartburn. And oh Lord, did that suck. It felt like she had just eaten a Mexican dinner for five. But at the moment, she couldn't focus on that. She was feeling...relieved.

Oh so relieved at how much she had underestimated Percy's mother. The woman was a saint and all Annabeth could think was how lucky she had to have been for this. Percy dropped onto the couch next to her, sighing.

"I have to get a job," he pouted.

Annabeth laughed quietly, making a bold move by reaching over and ruffling his hair. She had always wanted to do it. She had a small infatuation with his messy locks. And as she suspected, it felt glorious. Hours had been wasted away, dreaming about the moment she could touch his hair. Percy hummed in appreciation. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm going to get a job too."

"No," Percy immediately rejected with narrowed eyes and drawn eyebrows.

She laughed, "Uh, yes."

"Annabeth," he exhaled exasperatedly. "You don't need to. It'll be fine with just me working. You don't need to put any more extra stress on the baby. You need to take it easy."

"Easy for you to say," she mumbled, pushing at his shoulder. "You don't have to feel unhelpful and useless. I want to help out in any way that I can."

"Annabeth, no," he shook his head. "You're growing a damn human inside your womb. I don't think that's useless." He poked her leg that was propped up on the ottoman. "And my mom brought up some good points. We definitely have to talk about that stuff."

"Yeah, yeah," she dismissed, really not in the mood to deal with anything more for the night. She was exhausted. Yawning, she leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes momentarily.

Percy chuckled. "We can talk about it later. You wanna watch a movie?"

Nodding mutely, she felt him leave her side at the couch to retrieve the remote. He sat back down next to her and she could have sworn it was closer than before. His thigh brushed against hers and sent tingles running up the whole left side of her body.

Relaxing back, Percy slipped an arm around her shoulder. She was too tired to do anything but smile lazily and accept the warmth he provided, snuggling into his side. The fire in the fireplace was still burning, giving off that homey scent, but Annabeth ignored the old memories that flashed back this time around.

She was making new ones anyway.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014**_


	9. The Discussion

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

It was two weeks later. Percy and Annabeth still had not had their discussion.

Surprisingly, she wasn't feeling nervous about speaking with Percy. They had come to a point in their relationship, _as friends_, where she was comfortable enough in talking to him.

She didn't think she would have to hold back any of her thoughts or concerns simply because she knew Percy wouldn't shoot her down. If anything, he had proved to be supportive above all.

Even with that said, the two of them were both putting it off.

They knew that some 'real talk' would have to happen. The kind of discussion that lawyers and accused, or doctors and patients, have. When the minds involved must be mature, rational, and overall selfless.

The two teenagers would have to be adults.

And as much as it sounded simple, it wasn't. Annabeth wasn't in a point in her life that these kinds of traits came naturally to her. Teenagers were notoriously known for being selfish and unreasonable. Reckless kids were not suited for such a heavy conversation. One that decided the fate of another human being.

Dread filled her stomach like bleach. It weighed her down as it sloshed around and stung her insides. What if she couldn't make the right decision for that specific human being? _Her baby_.

But at the same time, she knew she had to do it. The problem wasn't going to go away if she kept ignoring it. In a moment like this, she had to try and be a responsible mother and do everything in her power to protect the fetus that grew in her womb. Everyday the baby got bigger, although almost infinitesimally, they still became more alive, more advanced, and more _real_ every passing day.

So when Percy asked her to come over to his house on a Wednesday afternoon, she agreed a bit reluctantly. But in truth, she knew that Percy would try to make this conversation as painless as possible. She was pretty sure in thinking that they both wanted the same things.

School was off, considering Thanksgiving day was tomorrow. It gave them a reason to meet up earlier.

Thalia drove Annabeth over to Percy's cute little home at noon. They hadn't done much all day. The punk's father was home, but sadly he still seemed busy. Constantly, his cell phone was going off, or his pager would send out a shrill tone. The two girls had spent most of the day ignoring his loud barks into the phone about sales and marketing technique.

The sky was overcast, shrouding the world in a silvery gray filter. Everything looked paler and more authentic in the darker tone of lighting.

Sliding out of Thalia's small car, she pecked the girl on the cheek before heading up the familiar stairs and knocking on the Jackson's house door.

In the past two weeks, Annabeth and Sally had only talked once or twice when they saw each other. Each time had the woman expressed her support and care for Annabeth and the baby; something that she didn't take lightly.

It felt so refreshingly brilliant to have a parental figure in her life that wasn't trying to forget she existed – and succeeding in it. Her actual parents hadn't called back again. Sally had given Annabeth tips and advice that she appreciated more than could be expressed. It was what she had wanted all along. A woman who had been through this before. And Sally had, in more ways than her own mother could relate.

The door swung open to reveal a comfortable-looking Percy clad in dark gray sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt. Involuntarily, her vision floated to where she had come to known his tattoo would be peaking out. It was barely visible, but still gave her the chills. She had a strange inclination to touch it. She wanted to feel the skin that he had carved permanence into.

However creepy that may have sounded.

"Hey. Nice to see you," he greeted, bringing her into a hug on the very small porch. He smelled his usual scent of salty ocean air and sea foam. Pressing a short kiss into the side of her head, he pulled her by the wrist into the house.

Like the last few times she had been here, the rooms still smelled of firewood and cinnamon; a warm fragrance that Annabeth had come to love.

"My mom isn't here, so we have the house to ourselves."

She figured that was probably for the best – although she didn't particularly like it. They would need to do this on their own. Spread their metaphorical wings into the sky that was parenthood or whatever.

In difference to last time, Percy led her up the stairwell, instead of down the hallway into the living room. The steps led into a small landing with soft brown carpet and tons of pictures displaying on the walls. She didn't have enough time to examine them as Percy unceremoniously threw one of the doors open, uncovering a messy bedroom.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he chuckled, "I guess I probably should have cleaned my room."

"I don't care about the mess," she told him, walking past, taking a seat on his large bed. Her feet didn't like standing for too long, she could blame her excessive laziness on the baby.

Scooting back to the headboard, she gave him room to sit on the foot of the bed. After he got comfortable, she chose to start off the conversation. "So, first things first."

"And what would that be?" he inquired, smirking at her from the corner of his eye.

In a totally Annabeth-like fashion, she retrieved a folded up piece of paper from her jacket pocket. A list of discussion topics with little check boxes next to each in where she could guarantee they successfully go over each item on it.

Reading the first item on the list, she started, "What are we-"

After reaching over and plucking the list out of her hands, he studied it with an amused laugh. He gave it back to her, mumbling, "That's cute."

Huffing, she told him, "Stop distracting me – First topic. Have you considered adoption, yet?"

His demeanor changed to stiff and defensive, as expected. He had already told her how he felt about the subject. "I've thought about it. That doesn't mean I've changed my mind..."

Exhaling forcefully, she knew she had to be an adult right now and fight for both sides of this argument. Even if she strongly favored one over the other. "We have to be able to recognize that we might not be what's best for the baby. Two teenagers that are barely seniors in high school. We're not parents, Percy."

"Are you saying that you don't want the baby?" His voice had only risen slightly, but it still bit at her. She hurried to defend herself.

"No! Percy, believe me. I want this baby. You might be the only person who understands how much I do. But at the same time, I want to be sure that the baby has the best life we can offer it. We weren't prepared for parenthood. We have no experience. I don't want the baby to be subjected to the mistakes I may make as a teenager."

"Plenty of people don't plan on getting pregnant. That doesn't mean that they'll be awful parents. And neither does being a teenager. My mom is the best parent I could ever have asked for and she had me at sixteen."

He had brought up a good point. It was true. She had wanted to keep this baby even if they were inexperienced and naïve. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to think about it before completely knocking it out of the way. And I do agree with you. I would like to keep our baby."

His posture lost the fight in it. He slumped back a bit, seemingly relieved. "Thank God. I thought I was gonna have to fight that one with you for the rest of the pregnancy – and I would've."

She chuckled. "I didn't want to give up the baby. I just wanted to hear out all the options. Unlike some of us..." She trailed off with a pointed look.

Percy shrugged sheepishly. "If it makes you feel any better, we always have the next six months to change our minds – You know, if we prove to be terrible monsters who eat newborn babies, then we can look into adoption."

Rolling her eyes, she ignored him and moved on.

"Money. How is the job hunt going?"

"I have good news. For you, at least." Curious, she gestured for him to continue. "I got a job at the skate shop downtown."

"That's great!" she exclaimed, proud of him. "That place would be perfect for you."

He smiled and replied, "Yup. So that's off the list. Let's go on-"

"Nuh uh." She shook her head. "I'm getting a job too."

Percy sighed, dropping his head to his hands tiredly. "Annabeth, you don't need a job."

"Yes I do," she argued, becoming frustrated. "Kids are expensive. Babies especially. We'll need all the money we can get."

"No, we don't. Just me working will be enough. And anyways, my mom and family can chip in. It won't be just us."

"Stop it," she warned. "We can't ask that of her. You need to get over your issues with me getting a job. I'm not just gonna sit back and let you do all the work. I've had them before, you know."

Percy stretched his arms above his head, popping his tired muscles. "I think you have this pretense that if you're not working, you're not doing the best for the baby. But jobs add on extra stress that you really don't need."

"Percy, this is not debatable. I'm getting a job."

He let out a frustrated groan and fell backwards onto the bed. On his back, his head was parallel to her folded knees. "Fine. End of discussion – for now. Next topic."

"No, not 'for now'-"

"Next topic."

Preventing a fight, she appeased his will, adding an eye roll to keep him in check. "Living arrangements. Where's the baby gonna stay?"

Percy glanced at the sheet of paper in her hands with a confused look. "Why is that even a topic? Why can't the baby just live here? We have a guest room that could easily change into a nursery."

A sick feeling formed in her stomach when she thought about not living with her baby. Shifting her arms to hug her bent knees, she adamantly responded, "The baby isn't going anywhere without me." There were times when she was not too timid to voice her opinion and this was one of them. She didn't care if she sounded selfish and bitchy. This was something she wouldn't argue about.

Immediately, Percy shook his head. "No. That's not what I meant. Of course you'd come here too."

Annabeth had to admit she was relieved that she wouldn't have to argue with him about that and honestly felt a little sheepish for jumping to conclusions. He understood what she wanted. Though, she was still hesitant about it. "I don't know if that would be such a good idea..."

"I know what your thinking," Percy told her. "That it's too much. It might be, but try to understand where I'm coming from. I'd like to live with my baby as well. I don't want to have split times and schedules as to when I get to see them and I know you would feel the that way too if I asked the same of you."

Percy was actually making sense. She couldn't expect that of him. "You're right. But I think it's just another thing we'll have to let be for now. We have a lot of time before we need to make a decision for this particular one."

The teenage boy nodded, running a hand through his unruly hair. He probably knew it was the best he could get for now, but she knew he would keep fighting until he got what he wanted in that specific department. And she honest to God couldn't blame him. She knew _exactly_ how he felt.

"So, what's the next item on the handy-dandy list?" Percy questioned, a sarcastic glint in his eye. He moved out of the way to avoid the swat coming from Annabeth's arm.

"Don't knock my list...And it's school. What happens after I have the baby?"

"Well," Percy drawled. "The due date cuts close to graduation, but those things aren't set in stone. If we're still in school by the time the baby is here, it would be easier for you to go if you had someone else that could help you take care of them at night. You know, cough, me."

Laughing, the blonde leaned her head back onto the headboard, wincing as it pinched her hair. "That can be another one we talk about later."

"Yeah, yeah," Percy muttered, scooting up to sit directly beside her. His proximity was making her skin feel too hot. He usually had that kind of effect on her. In attempt to cool down, she pulled off her jacket, leaving her in a simple pale blue V-neck.

Her eyes were closed, as she tried to ignore the stinging in her chest caused by heartburn. But they snapped open when she heard the boy next to her yell, "Whoa!"

"What?" she yelled back, sitting up quickly as her eyes flitted across the room, searching for a danger.

He was grinning at her. Why was he grinning at her? His eyes were moving from her face, down her body, and back, looking ecstatic about something. "Percy, what the fu-"

"Annabeth!" he interrupted her. "Since when have you had a bump?"

Suddenly, his fingers were poking at her belly. Annabeth quickly glanced down to see what all the commotion was about, but all she saw was her tummy. The same as it had been this morning. No visible 'bump.'

"What the hell are you talking about, Percy?"

His bright green eyes sprung up to hers again, holding a contagious kind of felicity. They were practically forcing her to smile back at him. "You!" he exclaimed, pointing to her stomach. "You've grown!"

"No I haven't," she disagreed, not understanding.

"You don't see it?" He squinted his eyes at the questionable bump. "Oh, it's there alright. Small, but there. You just can't tell, because you get to see it everyday."

She frowned, admittedly upset that she hadn't noticed her growing belly. "So, everyone else will be able to tell that I'm fat before I can? Great."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh c'mon. You're not fat."

"Apparently I am," she bit back, although her smile took away the sting.

"This is so great," he cooed at her stomach. And it was an odd sight, if anything. How many people could say that Percy Jackson made lovey eyes at their tummies?

She laughed and pushed his head away. "Stop being cute." It hadn't been a lie, but she really hadn't meant to say it out loud.

His eyes glinted as he leaned back, smiling. "I'm excited. Sue me."

There was a silence for a few moments and Annabeth was studying her torso, looking for any sign of growth. If she really did look at it, like strain her eyes, there did seem to be some sort of swelling. But more of a 'I just ate three breadsticks and a meatball sub' kind of swelling. She supposed it was larger than it had been, but it still just felt to her as if she had to go to the gym.

"What does it feel like?" Percy asked suddenly, turning his body to face her, laying on his side.

"What?"

"You know. Being pregnant."

She thought for a moment. In truth, she couldn't exactly explain it, but could definitely try. "It's, uh- I still feel like me. But in a weird way, I don't. Like... I've become so accustomed to my new self, that it's become a part of me. If that any makes sense."

"I think I understand," he nodded thoughtfully. "What's it like?"

Secretly, she felt fond of him when he asked her questions. It was adorable that he had interest in all of this. Holding back a smile, she supplied, "Well, I feel more emotional for one. Like my feelings are intensified tenfold. The mood swings? They're so annoying and I'm pretty sure Thalia wants to shoot me half the time. And then there's the more physical aspects of it, with the heartburn, the feet aching, and the exhaustion. I'm, like, always tired, Percy. And please, don't even get me _started_ on my boobs-"

His deep laugh loudly cut her off.

"You're laughing at me," she groaned, throwing her head back.

"No," he objected, rubbing his lips to smooth out the happy little grin still etching his face. "Not you, personally at least. More like the situation... If anyone told me that _you_ would be sitting here in my room, telling me about your tender boobs, three months ago today... I don't even know what I would have said. It probably would have ended with a laugh or a punch. Possibly both."

Okay, maybe he wasn't laughing at her and she had overreacted. But he didn't seem too offended by it. An amused chuckle escaped her mouth as she thought about the situation as well. It was sort of...unheard of. These kind of things still surprise her everyday. Who they were and what they were going through together. Most people couldn't even put their names together in a truthful sentence before this all started.

She was hoping that now since they had started hanging out together during school and people had noticed, that it wouldn't be such a surprise when they learned she was expecting his child. Or at least not as much as one. They would most likely still be shocked out of their wits.

Glancing over at Percy, he seemed to be lost in his own thought as well. His arms came up to fold behind his head and he was leaned backwards against the headboard with his eyes shut. This time, as Annabeth caught sight of the tattoo that drove her insane, she couldn't hold herself back. She reached over and lightly ran the pads of her fingers over the words.

His eyes snapped open as soon as he felt her and he watched on as she continued to explore it. She pushed his sleeve up, uncovering the whole tattoo. _I am the architect of my own destruction._

She felt his shiver, but was polite enough to ignore it. And she decided that she would finally ask a question that had been gnawing at her since she'd first ever seen his inked arm. "What does this mean?"

His gaze broke from her face to glance at his tattoo. He placed his hand over hers and intertwined their fingers. Lifting the tangled hands up, he held them to his chest as he studied her fingers together. The gesture was so painfully _boyfriend_ that she had to check herself with a deep breath.

"It's like... I'm responsible for my own mistakes. There is no one else to blame, but me."

She was a little stunned. It had a lot more meaning than she actually thought it would. And coming from Percy, it was definitely unexpected. Truthfully, he was always able to surprise her and she kind of liked that about him. "I really like that," she inputted quietly, moving her hand from his to trace the tattoo once again.

"You like my tattoo?" Annabeth was confused at the incredulity in his tone. As if it was so hard to believe that she could possibly favor his mark of rebellion.

"Yeah," she replied in a 'duh' tone. "I always have."

His head tilted to the side, like he just couldn't understand and she really wanted to roll her eyes at that. "You've...always liked my tattoo?" He asked slowly, still disbelieving.

Sighing impatiently, she nodded her head, poking it. "Ever since I first saw it."

"And that was...?"

"The Stoll's party," she provided, surprisingly without a blush.

"Wow," he murmured, brows still drawn tight. He was obviously confused and for the life of her, Annabeth couldn't understand why he seemed so...awed. But he changed the subject and she went along with it. "Thanksgiving is tomorrow. What are you planning on doing?" His hand found hers again, playing with her fingers as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Like hell was she going to stop him, though.

"I don't know. Thalia's dad is home, but he's still so busy anyway. We'll probably eat with her scullery maid." She said it with a chuckle and meant it as a joke, but Percy's look was incredulous.

"No," he rejected. "Why don't you and Thalia come over here? It'll be me and a few of my relatives. Nothing too fancy. I think it'll be fun."

She wanted to refuse, but his look was so hopeful and adorable. She couldn't say no to his eyes that at the moment were one in the same with baby seals – and honestly, who could resist a baby seal? And he'd included Thalia. She didn't have to do it alone.

It would probably be more fun than a lonely dinner at Thalia's huge, but sorely empty house. And that was why she agreed.

It was _so_ worth it for his happy, lopsided grin. "Really? That's great. I'll let my mom know. She'll be so excited."

Annabeth chuckled, squeezing his fingers. He smiled bigger as he asked her another question, "You're not going Black Friday shopping, are you? Because I might have to be your bodyguard. People get fucking psychotic."

"No, I'm not," she told him, remembering something. "I don't think you're going either."

"And why is that?" he inquired with a challenging look to his eye.

But she already knew she had won. This one was in the bag. "I've got a doctor's appointment on Friday."

She laughed when his face lost the challenge, overtaken by acceptance. But he looked happy – like really happy. "Aw, sweet! Wait, are you saying that I can...?" He trailed off with a hopeful smile.

"Yes! Of course you can come along!"

Percy threw his head back in a joyful laugh. "Oh God. Thanks so much."

"No problem, Perce." His look was something akin to pure joy and she really couldn't help but to revel in his happiness as well. She grinned at him and he rubbed the back of her knuckles with his thumb. His cheeks were lifted up and his pearly teeth were blinding the world in the best way possible.

Annabeth leaned her head on his shoulder and he immediately let his head drop onto hers. His nose nuzzled her hair for a moment and she could have swore that she heard him sigh in content.

"So, tomorrow and the next day?"

"Yep," she replied to his barely-question. "When do you want us over here, tomorrow?"

"Hm," he hummed, thinking. "I'll pick you guys up."

"You sure?"

"Mmhm. And do you think I could drive you to the appointment too?"

"It's across town, you know. A lot of gas money."

"Pfft," he waved that off. "I'm a _working_ man now, you hear? Money is no object for my child and their mother."

She laughed loudly at his joke, tipping her head backwards, resulting in bumping her nose into his cheek. He snuggled his face closer to her, moving it into her neck. And that was when it hit her. They, as in Percy Jackson and her, were _cuddling _with each other.

And sweet Lord, was it glorious.

A giggle slipped from her lips when his breath tickled her neck. Which only made him nuzzle her neck more. He was so excruciatingly adorable sometimes, that it hurt. She so desperately wanted to just kiss him like she had before. And feel his skin, his breath, his warmth against her. She wanted him – so, _so_ much.

But she couldn't have him. Whenever the thought of Percy reciprocating feelings for her drifted into her mind, a shot of heartburn would pop in, or a bout of nausea, reminding her of the real reason he showed her any interest. She was pregnant with his baby and anything that he was giving her was purely the act of familial love for the mother of his child.

It wasn't Annabeth in particular. It could have been any other teenage girl that he accidentally knocked up.

And yeah, that kind of felt like something was dying in her chest and often she tried not to think about it. But sometimes – times like these, when he was making her heart melt at his feet – she had to remind herself not to get carried away in his affection.

With that being said, she steeled herself and sat up from under Percy's snuggles. His lips formed a pout and she desperately tried to ignore it. He was a sweet guy, really. Sometimes she couldn't understand how he was labeled a 'delinquent'. He was more of a fluffy teddy bear most of the time.

"I should get going. I've been here for hours and Thalia is probably waiting for me."

Percy frowned and stood up off of his bed with her. "Let me drive you."

"No, it's okay," she refused. "Thalia's coming and we're gonna go do some horribly girly things, like...pedicures. Shudder."

Laughing, he nodded resignedly. "Okay. Well I'll see you tomorrow, alright? I'll pick you guys up at four o'clock."

"Sure," she agreed. He pulled her into a tight hug, pecking the now familiar kiss onto the top of her head.

"Bye. Be safe."

"You be safe," she muttered back to him jokingly, walking out of his front door. She was trying her best not to get caught up in his acts of care. It was really hard when he said things like that, or for crying out loud, kissed her head.

Waving one last time towards him, she shuffled into Thalia's waiting car. Annabeth must have been caught up in there, because it looked like Thalia had been waiting there for a while.

"Do you ever check your phone? I was about to storm in there and knock Percy in the head," her best friend greeted.

"Sorry," she mumbled sheepishly, looking up to see Thalia's smirk. Oh freaking hell. What now?

"You're face is priceless."

Annabeth's hand immediately went up to feel her face as if she could see it with her fingers. "What?"

"You have this dopey lovestruck smile on your face. And honestly, it's fucking hilarious."

"No," Annabeth rejected, turning her now red face to look out the window, ineffectively hiding it from the punk.

Thalia only chuckled as she pulled out of Percy's driveway. Annabeth spared one last look towards his house before they left.

He stood on the porch. And he didn't go back inside until the car was out of view.

Oh yeah. Resisting her feelings was proving to be a lot more difficult than she originally thought.

* * *

**Happy Sunday. If anyone that isn't from America doesn't understand Thanksgiving or Black Friday, don't worry about it. It won't be a big deal in this story. But if you still wanna ask questions, that's fine too.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you for reading. Any input you have is accepted.**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 4th, 2014**_


	10. The Thanksgiving Dinner

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Annabeth shouldn't have been nervous about going to Percy's house for Thanksgiving, but really, she should have expected it by now. It felt like she had a never dying cycle of anxiety pulsing through her body at all times since she found out she was pregnant.

There was going to be a few of his relatives there. People that she had never met, but soon would be considered a part of her family because of her baby.

By no means were they admitting of Annabeth's pregnancy at this party. That couldn't happen. She didn't have to. That could wait until she was big and bump-y.

At four o'clock, true to his word, Percy's truck could be heard growling as it rolled into Thalia's driveway. When she first told her best friend about spending the day with Percy's family, the punk had laughed and made fun of her. But still she agreed to go.

However, telling Mr. Grace hadn't gone as smoothly. It wasn't that he was angry or put off, but he seemed genuinely hurt that Thalia didn't want to spend the day with him. He was planning on going to a dinner party at one of his relative's house – now by himself.

Thalia and Annabeth felt guilty at first, but it wasn't like he had mentioned anything to them beforehand. Maybe that was why he let them go in the first place.

Smoothing out the skirt to her white dress, she pulled a cardigan over her shoulders in hopes of hiding the bump that she still couldn't see. When she got home the previous day, she had asked Thalia if she saw anything and her best friend's reaction was quite similar to Percy's.

There was a lot of yelling and excitement that Annabeth couldn't be a part of, because she simply didn't see a difference. Nevertheless, she tried to hide her stomach just in case.

Thalia was clad in her familiar band T-shirt and ripped black jeans. She couldn't be bothered to change into formal attire, but that was just Thalia. Take it or leave it.

The two girls slipped out of the door before Percy could ring the bell. He frowned as he walked up the steps. "I was going to knock."

"Yeah well, I don't want my dad feeling any worse about us leaving. We're trying to make a quick escape," Thalia told him, flicking his ear. Annabeth laughed out loud. Her best friend was very _forward_.

Percy looked like he was trying to look annoyed, but the tips of his mouth were curving upward. "Okay, whatever. Let's go."

Annabeth took the privilege of shot gun, much to Thalia's displeasure. To which the blonde replied, "He doesn't want to sit next to people that might attack him."

The punk rolled her eyes and Percy let out the laugh he was holding back. Surprisingly, during the car ride, Thalia and him got into a pretty deep conversation about their opinions in music.

Their tastes weren't too far off from each other. While Percy liked more alternative and classic rock, Thalia was leaning towards the more biting bands, as Annabeth liked to refer to them. _Asking Alexandria_ and _Sleeping With Sirens _were more Thalia's scene.

Thalia's music scared Annabeth most of the time, but Percy said he didn't mind listening to it every once in a while. Mostly when he was feeling angry.

Every time Annabeth tried to say anything or input her opinion, the two of them carried on like she hadn't spoken at all. They were so lost in their little world of music that they had been unintentionally snubbing her. She crossed her arms and huffed as she watched the road pass by out of the window.

Annabeth hadn't expected the whole car ride to be bonding between her best friend and her kind-of-friend-kind-of-more. She felt terrible for feeling bitter about it, but...she was.

When they pulled into the now familiar driveway of Percy's cute little home, she was secretly relieved. She was starting to feel left out and it irked her because she knew that it wasn't that big of a deal at all. She really shouldn't have cared, but like usual, she put the fault at her raging hormones with adolescence and teenage pregnancy.

There weren't any other cars near the house other than Sally's Prius, so she took it that the party hadn't started yet. Ignoring the two people she arrived with, she stood tall and entered the house to greet Sally. Annabeth knew _she_ wouldn't snub her.

As soon as she walked into the house, the well known warm scent hit her nose and she relaxed. Sally was in the kitchen, tossing around a salad when Annabeth walked in.

Percy's mom caught sight of her and immediately pulled her into a hug. "Annabeth, how are you, sweetie?"

Her reply was muffled into the woman's shoulder. "Just peachy."

Sally laughed and pulled back to look at her face. "How are things with your family? Have you talked to them yet?"

Annabeth sheepishly shrugged her shoulders. "I don't wanna talk to them. They're mean."

She tutted as she returned to the counter top, starting to grate cheese into her salad. "You may not want to, but try to think of how _you_ would feel if your baby started ignoring you."

An unsettled feeling unfurled in her belly. Her baby and her wouldn't fight with each other. She did not want to imagine that happening. And the road ran both ways. Her parents were cutting her out as well. "It's not just me. They have made minimal efforts to keep in touch. Truly, they are ignoring me just the same as now as they were before I left."

Sally frowned and was about to say something before she was interrupted by an obnoxiously loud voice. "Way to wait up, Annabeth."

Thalia strutted into the kitchen like she owned the place, taking a seat on one of the bar stools. Percy walked in shortly after.

"Well, you guys seemed pretty content in standing out there and talking all day. Why bother you, right?" She turned her back and let out a quiet huff. Maybe she was acting immature, but she thought she was allowed to. They hadn't included her in any of their conversations since they met up.

The corners of Percy's mouth turned down and his brows dipped. "What's wrong?"

Thalia rolled her eyes and leaned into Annabeth's ear, whispering to her. "Your pregnancy is showing."

Stubborn as she was, she turned her body away from her best friend, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew perfectly well that she was overreacting, but she couldn't help that she was angry. It wasn't like she had an on/off switch.

Her best friend chuckled, ruffling her hair. "You'll be alright, sweetheart. Remember your deep breaths."

Annabeth whipped back to her with an indignant expression. "Now you're making fun of me!"

Thalia shook her head, a small smile still playing at her lips. " C'mon. No, I'm not."

Sighing loudly, Annabeth bitterly gave up her fight. She didn't know if it was because of Sally's knowing expression or Percy's confused one. Boys were clueless anyway.

Percy cleared his throat. "You've obviously met Annabeth. This is Thalia." He gestured to the punk girl who was still trying to cheer Annabeth up. She was twisting her lips around, making funny faces. Annabeth tried her best to ignore it, but it was hard when her best friend knew her so well. Thalia's funny faces were her kryptonite.

Sally stilled for a moment, her gaze caught on Thalia. "Wow," she murmured with a small smile, "You've grown up so much. I thought you were coming with your father, though. Where is he?"

Thalia gave her a strange look. "What? What about my fath-"

Suddenly, the sound of the door bell resonated throughout the house; a series of chimes and twinkling bells that fit with the happy and upbeat atmosphere of the place.

"Guests!" Sally squealed, running off to answer the door. The teenagers laughed fondly at the woman's excitement.

Though, Thalia's eyes were still narrowed and her fingers dragged through her spiky hair. "That was weird..." she muttered.

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders and hopped off one of the bar stools. Standing, she pranced into the living room where the fireplace was burning bright and warm and the whole room smelled of cinnamon. She settled onto the couch, pulling a book out of her bag. Truth be told, she still wasn't all that thrilled about socializing with Thalia or Percy, and she was completely content to be left to her own devices.

But that wasn't exactly the case.

One sentence into her book, she felt a presence slide onto the couch beside her. Fully intending on ignoring whomever decided to invade her space, she was rather annoyed when they cleared their throat.

Letting out a long, hesitating breath, she lifted her eyesight to see Thalia sitting next to her. "What can I help you with, Thals?"

"You're angry with me." The tone in her voice made it clear that it was a statement. Not a question.

"I'm a little irked, yeah."

Thalia watched her expectantly. After a few moments, she continued with an eye roll, "Are you going to tell me why?"

"You don't know? What, should I go call Percy in here? Maybe he'll be able to help you figure it out. But don't mind me. I won't get in your guy's way." She stood up from the couch, intending to find somewhere to be by herself.

"Annabeth," Thalia sighed, gripping her hand around the girl's wrist. "Sit down with me for a second."

The blonde shook her head immaturely. She didn't want to face the fact that she was indeed overreacting. "Annabeth..." She coaxed.

Rubbing her face tiredly, she settled onto the couch next to her friend. Thalia leaned back and ran her fingers through her hair. Starting slowly, she turned to Annabeth. "You know I don't have anything for Percy, right?"

Really, Annabeth didn't know that exactly. Thalia was a really beautiful and independent girl. She was sure that if Thalia wanted Percy, she could have him. Because she wasn't an annoying, frizzy-haired dweeb that he accidentally knocked up, and was now stuck with - whether he liked it or not. Thalia was the more enticing option.

"Nor does he have anything for me. There is absolutely nothing to be worried about."

But that wasn't the problem. Annabeth wasn't upset because she felt threatened. That would imply that she believed she had some sort of a chance with Percy, when she really didn't think that at all. Annabeth was under no circumstances stupid. She knew what she was actually feeling.

And it was jealousy.

Maybe she was jealous towards her best friend for her lack of a fetus growing inside of her. Maybe it was because, if anyone, she was better suited for someone like Percy. Annabeth was a freaking _American Girl_ doll compared to her best friend. Not anybody that Percy Jackson would be seen crushing on.

Annabeth couldn't understand why the people she chose as friends – or crushes – were so different from herself. Why couldn't she have just stuck with her debate team buddies or nerdy math club members? She would have fit in better.

But this was what she chose. And no, she wouldn't trade Thalia for all the money it took to build the Palace of Versailles, but in times like these, she wished she could be more like her best friend.

"I'm sorry, Thals," Annabeth mumbled, feeling ridiculous for making such a big deal out of nothing – or would seem like nothing to Thalia. Annabeth was still jealous of her friend's life and freedom. She would just have to ignore the feeling for now and hope it didn't come back later to bite her in the ass.

"Don't be. Your pregnancy hormones got you all clingy and needy. No biggie."

She smiled as Thalia reached her arm around her in a half-hug. "I wonder if Percy even noticed something was off," the punk mused. "Boys are clueless."

Annabeth snorted, "You're telling me."

In that moment, a couple people walked into the room. Annabeth could immediately recognize Sally leading in first. There was another figure walking behind the woman and only after Thalia's gasp was Annabeth able to identify him.

"Dad?" Thalia choked, standing up.

"Thalia? You decided to come then? Glad to see that," the man told her, giving her a small hug. "Hello, Annabeth."

She swallowed before answering, her tone at least an octave higher. "Hi, Mr. Grace."

"Dad, what are you doing here? And what do you mean- wait a second." Thalia's hands moved around rapidly, trying to communicate what her mouth just wasn't. "Explain," she finally let out.

"The dinner party? I told you about it."

Thalia spluttered, her eyes showing that she was confused and she really didn't want to be. Annabeth knew the feeling. "But that was at a relative's house..."

"And..?" Mr. Grace expressed, looking as confused as his daughter. Something must have hit him in that moment, because he lit up like he remembered something. "Oh, Thals, you must have been too young to remember the last time you spent time with my brothers and their kids."

"What?" Thalia asked, stepping backwards beside Annabeth. "What are you saying? Because I swear to God, if you're dropping a bomb on me like this on Thanksgiving... We're supposed to be eating! Not having a damn family reunion. I just wanted some stupid turkey!"

This whole situation was crazy and Annabeth was sure that her head was spinning. She had to sit back down on the couch, and she pulled Thalia with her. The girl needed to take a breather. "Wow," she muttered. "This is..."

"Fucking insane," Thalia finished quietly as not to let the adults hear. She looked tired and Annabeth's heart went out to her, all previous resentment towards her best friend put on hold.

Just then, Percy decided to saunter into the room, taking a seat next to Annabeth. "Who's the guy?" he asked her out of the corner of his mouth.

Although the situation was a bit more serious, Annabeth couldn't help but to chuckle lightly. "This is your house. Why are you asking me?"

He smiled a little, shrugging. "I don't know. Figured he probably introduced himself or something. Any idea what he means to me?"

The small smile slipped from her face as she muttered to him, "That's what were trying to find out."

"Thalia, I understand that you might be hurt or confused, but we'll talk this out. We'll answer all of your questions." Mr. Grace took on what Annabeth and Thalia used to call his 'business man mode.' When he turned on the charm and was able to debate any of his points.

"Was he just talking to Thalia..?" Percy's brows dipped in the adorable way of his.

The man seemed to have just noticed Percy's presence. A firstly timid smile stretched onto his face, slowly turning into one of excitement. "My God. You look just like him," he cogitated with a nostalgic expression.

"What?" Percy looked at the man like he was crazy. Which she supposed made sense. He didn't know that in some way, Mr. Grace was...related to the Jackson's. To him, a strange man just made an extremely cryptic acknowledgment about him. "What are you talking about, dude?"

"Young man," his mother scolded. "This is your Uncle Zeus."

And suddenly, the relatively noisy room turned silent. Annabeth could feel the tension thickening in the room the longer the family stayed quiet. She was uncomfortable as she turned to Percy.

His expression was hard. Disbelieving. His once soft green eyes were swirling and dark. He was confused and angry.

Glancing at Thalia, she saw something extremely similar in her expression and in that moment, she almost comically was able to notice the resemblance between the two cousins. She decided not to voice the thought due to the fact that the look that was marking them similar – was indeed a furious one. Directed at Zeus.

"What. The. Fuck." Thalia finally broke in, eyes set ablaze on her father.

"Thalia," her father reprimanded fiercely. "You will not devalue yourself in such a manner."

The girl chuckled darkly, standing up. "This is shit. Are you kidding me? When were you- No, how come I haven't- Why didn't you tell me I had a cousin?"

"_Cousins_," he corrected softly. "And we have our reasons, Thalia. As we've been trying to tell you."

"I don't have any siblings," Percy broke in, looking less murderous than before. He seemed to be trying to act calm and responsible. Annabeth liked this side of him as it made her think of how he would be as a father. Though, now really wasn't the time to think about it. Oops.

"No, Percy." The teenager stiffened slightly at the man knowing his name. "My brother, Hades, lives up north in Maine with two more kids."

"More cousins?" Thalia's voice cracked and her eyes widened.

Zeus looked pained to see his daughter in such distress. Sally offered him a seat in the recliner, which he gratefully took. Annabeth felt like she was intruding on serious family moments and she wanted to leave to give them some privacy. But when she was about to get up, Percy's hand softly wrapped around her upper arm as if he was reading her mind. Sharing a look with him, she could see that he was silently asking her to stay in the room.

Thalia shook her head, still recovering from the shock. "Why didn't you ever tell me, Dad?"

Her father grimaced as if reliving a bad memory. "Thalia, after the death of my brother Poseidon, the whole family had been shaken up and separated."

In that moment, Annabeth was able to understand Percy that much better. His wince at the mentioned brother of Zeus was enough for her to infer as to who it could be. Poseidon was Percy's father. And he was dead.

"We were a close family and after he passed it hurt to be around each other. His presence was engraved into every family function and after a while, it got to be too much to handle. We..." he sighed at this, shaking his head in despair. "We gave up on each other."

Annabeth would be honest in saying that there were tears in her eyes. She was pregnant dammit, she was allowed to cry when she wanted. She was just now learning that her baby's grandfather had passed away and that her best friend doubled as her crush's cousin – which didn't bother her _too_ much.

Sally was distraught as she continued, "The kids were so young when he..." she choked on the word, as if saying it was a struggle, "_died_. Percy was only five years old. Thalia was four. There was no way either of them would have remembered each other. It was hard after he was gone. There was a clear _hole_ in the air when any of us got together. It was blatantly obvious that he wasn't there, because he was the life of the room when he was alive. There was no missing him."

Her eyes were brimming red and Annabeth sincerely hoped she wouldn't cry, because if she did, there was no way humanly possible that she could keep herself from blubbering like a baby. Sneaking another glance at Percy was a mistake. His face was hard and his lips were pulled into a thin line.

Maybe he was fooling everyone else, but she saw right through him. He was trying to reign in his emotions, trying not to appear weak in front of these strangers that were his family. He was trying to act tough, when he so desperately wanted to break down. She knew that look, because she was used to wearing it herself.

Seeing him in this situation made her heart clench painfully. She didn't want Percy to feel hurt or broken. She wanted to wrap him up in a blanket, bring him upstairs, and talk about things that made him happy. Like the word 'kowtow' or their baby.

Unconsciously – like her mind was on autopilot, focused on nothing but comforting Percy – her hand slipped into his clenched one, softening his muscles as soon as she touched him. She kept her eyes trained on the adults, but she could just make out Percy stealing a sidelong glance. Keeping her composure, she squeezed his hand. He squeezed back.

"So, what now?" Thalia interrupted the heavy silence and tension that pervaded the air. "Are we just going to start acting like a family again? Pretend that we didn't just meet each other today?"

"We're a family. _All_ of us, whether we like it or not. We will act like it."

Everyone's eyes turned to Percy as he said that. Such confidence emanated from him, like he was completely sure in what he was saying and would order them to act like a family. But he was looking at Annabeth too and she didn't really understand that.

"Percy's right," Zeus inputted. Sally nodded along, as well as Thalia as they both made sounds of agreement. Percy had his eyes trained on Annabeth now, and again, she was confused.

"What?" She finally asked him.

"Do you agree?"

Her eyebrows knit together as he said that. Why did he want her advice? "Uh, why are you asking me?"

"_All_ of us are a part of this family." With a pointed look at her stomach, she understood. "Don't you think?"

She nodded her head in agreement. The way he was including her had little butterflies stirring up a storm in her stomach. Sometimes he was just so thoughtful and she couldn't help the swelling in her chest. "Yeah. I'm with you, Percy."

His hand tugged hers into his lap and he gave her a small smile, playing with her fingers. "Good to hear that we're all on the same page."

"Way to take initiative," Thalia muttered, but her tone held no resentment. Possibly grudging acceptance.

Sally shifted in her seat, gracing the world with her beautiful smile although it was rather watery. "Come on, guys! Enough with the heavy, let's eat!"

Thalia made a noise akin to a warrior cry as she burst from her spot on the couch and ran into the kitchen behind Percy's mother. The remaining members of the gettogether laughed at the punk girl, watching on fondly. Zeus followed his daughter.

"I'm starting to believe how she's related to me..." Percy considered, still chuckling at his cousin.

Annabeth smiled and stood up, their connected hand pulling him up as well. "You've had a tough day. Let's get you something to eat."

Percy scoffed playfully. "Don't worry about me. Let's get _you_ something to eat."

The blonde rolled her eyes in reply, though an affectionate smile broke onto her face. "Don't go all _guy_ on me. I am perfectly capable of feeding myself, Percy."

"You need food more than me. There's two of you."

She laughed aloud, shaking her head. "Well, the baby's obviously more you than me. They're hungry _all_ the time. Sometimes I have to question whether this kid has any of my traits at all. They're, like, ninety-seven percent you."

Percy grinned, the crests of his cheeks raising high onto his face. She knew that he liked when she said things like that. She always got a good reaction out of him when she would mention the baby being like him. She figured that comment would cheer him up slightly.

It did. He was considerably lighter during the entire dinner, even as more of his family started arriving - the ones that he already knew.

And he practically force fed her, piling loads of food onto her plate, claiming, "If the baby wants to eat, the baby shall eat."

* * *

**I do not like this chapter at all. It was almost painful to write. The writer's block was so bad, I just wanted to slam my head into my laptop.**

**Thanks for reading this painful pile of crap. Check out my new oneshot _Eighteen_ and see how I have the striking ability to produce terrible writing while trying to procrastinate in finishing up chapters. (This is like the third time it's happened.)**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 5th, 2014**_


	11. The Almost Kiss

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

The amount of food Percy shoved down her throat had her jaded as he ushered her into his bedroom. She groaned loudly, flopping onto his bed with a petite hiccup. The sound of his chuckle was close to her ear, letting her know he had settled next to her.

"You stuffed me full."

He laughed without caution, dropping an arm over her shoulder. "That made no sense."

"It did," she disagreed. "You made me eat too much and now I'm gonna be bloated. It's a symptom."

As a calloused finger tugged on one of her curls, he smiled charmingly at her. "Well... we gotta fatten you up."

"Percy!" She screeched, pushing his arm off of her shoulder and staring at him incredulously. "I'm gonna be fat enough, thanks."

His shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. "Oh c'mon," he cooed when she scooted away from him. "Don't be like that. You're beautiful. You know that. We all know that."

A light pink dusted the crests of her cheeks and she cleared her throat awkwardly. _Ignore it, Chase_. "Thanks, Perce."

He didn't reply as he finally was able to slip his arm around her waist without resistance. He pulled her close to him, cradling her bump in his left hand, his right arm still around her back. She was surrounded in his embrace and she didn't know what to think of it.

Should she have pushed him away, knowing that being this close to him will only hurt her more when she couldn't be with him? Or should she have basked in the moment, taking advantage of the opportunity to be around him?

She knew which choice was the _right_ one, but that didn't mean she wanted to follow up on it.

She snuggled him closer, pulling him back to lay on the bed with her.

His arm tightened around her waist, hand beginning to rub circles into her stomach. The gesture was so painfully sweet, she wanted to cry.

Thalia had gone home with her father, because Percy had asked Annabeth to stay the night. She only agreed so it would be easier for him to drive her to the doctor's appointment. That was the _only_ reason.

Truthfully, she didn't know why he wanted her to stay, but there was something telling her to just ignore it and enjoy the welcome.

Percy's nose nuzzled into her neck and that was when she knew she had to stop this. No matter how sinfully glorious it was to be with him like this, it was only leading her on. Feeding the rapidly growing fire in her heart that believed it was possible to be with him. With Percy acting this way towards her, it was easy to forget who they were and get lost in his presence.

She turned her face towards him, fully intending on telling him that they needed to put some space between themselves or something. But that wasn't what happened.

When her head moved to face him, his own lifted at the same time, probably sensing her movement. Their noses brushed and she could feel his breath tauntingly warm on her lips.

Annabeth sucked in a sharp breath as she glanced at him. His green eyes were trained on her lips before they fluttered closed. She felt his nose move to the side of hers as he leaned in slowly.

She should have stopped this. It shouldn't have been happening. She meant to push him away gently and tell him 'no thanks.' But she didn't.

She let her eyes close as well, as she waited for his lips to connect with hers.

Just as she felt his velvety warm mouth brushed against hers in a feather light movement – and she thought that maybe the world might have shifted on it's axis for a second – his lips were torn away when a loud knock jarred them out of their sweet oblivion.

"Percy, does Annabeth need an extra blanket?" Sally called through the door.

Color immediately filled Annabeth's cheeks and she turned around so she was facing the wall instead of the boy she had almost just kissed. She heard him clear his throat and answer his mother. "She's good, Ma."

"Alright. Let me know if she needs anything." The woman's voice got quieter as Annabeth presumed she retreated down the hallway.

Fuck.

Why did she let that happen? What had she done? She didn't mean to let him, but with Percy it was always like her mind took a vacation and she couldn't make any worthy decisions. She swallowed thickly, taking deep breaths as her front teeth chewed on her bottom lip.

The air felt thick and the tension was almost tangible. The bed shifted and she knew that Percy had stood up. There was silence for only a short moment before she was met with warm skin on her shoulder. Percy's hand gave her arm a light squeeze and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Get some sleep, alright?"

Then he was gone. And she was a bitch, because she hadn't even looked at him. God, what was wrong with her? Percy had almost kissed her and she was disappointed that it didn't happen, but in all seriousness, what would have happened if he _did_ kiss her?

Did Percy even like her? Why would he kiss her if he didn't? What was she supposed to believe? The amount of questions she had was frustrating to say the least. This whole situation was in horrible timing. Things would be tense and uncomfortable between them, no doubt, and she really couldn't deal with that right now.

She groaned and turned over in the bed, stuffing her face into Percy's pillows. They smelled like him; a heady scent of windy beaches and salty seas. She breathed in the smell deeply, but it only made her sadder and served to remind her of how big of a fuck up she was.

Pulling the blankets up to her chin and ignoring Percy's lingering fragrance, she tried her best to fall asleep. The world wasn't on her side, as she tossed and turned all night long dreading the next day.

...δ...

When she woke up the next morning – or when she decided to stop lying in bed blinking at the ceiling and pretending she was sleeping – she got dressed in some of the clothes Thalia had dropped off last night.

Luckily, her friend had enough sense not to bring jeans – they had been feeling tighter lately. It was physical evidence that she was getting bigger, but she could only see her bump if she squinted and looked at it from upside down.

She slipped on the pair of leggings and her favorite converse, looking in Percy's very small mirror. It had a crack running up the side and it was pushed into the corner like it never saw the light of day. She figured that maybe it didn't, considering that Percy probably didn't give a rat's tush about his appearance.

Running a brush through her hair a few more times than necessary, she decided that she should stop stalling her time in Percy's room, hike up her big girl panties, and get her ass downstairs.

It wasn't like she could stay up here forever, although the idea was starting to sound enticing.

Annabeth felt embarrassed. With what happened last night in Percy's room and how she reacted. But she couldn't lie that a small fraction of her felt a form of giddiness. She almost _kissed_ Percy. His lips had swept across hers sweetly and she couldn't bring herself to ignore the swelling feeling it brought along with it.

She couldn't know what the gesture meant to him. Maybe he had been acting on impulse – as he did often – and he thought it was a mistake. The not-knowing is the worst feeling, but she had to believe that everything would turn out okay.

With that thought in mind, she steeled her nerves, heaving a sigh as she traveled downstairs. The carpet of the hallway was soft under her toes, reassuring her that she was comfortable in this house – even more so than her own home. She tiptoed into the living room, planning to pass into the kitchen for a much needed glass of water. Her mouth felt dry and her throat tight.

When she walked past the couch in the living room, she could see Percy still asleep on the couch, his limbs hanging off the furniture and a thin fleece blanket barely covering his body. His mouth was open and a small river of drool trailed down the corner of his lip. She wanted to be grossed out, but it was Percy, and anything Percy did was cute.

She was pathetic.

His breathing was soft and rhythmic, letting her know that he wasn't about to wake anytime soon. It was still rather early in the morning.

Annabeth continued into the kitchen where Sally was sitting at the counter, laptop in hand, typing out long paragraphs. "Good Morning," the blonde told Percy's mother.

Sally turned around smiling. "Annabeth. Hello, dear."

Curious, Annabeth sat next to the woman, studying her laptop. "What are you writing?"

She waved her hand at the computer in nonchalance, but her smile was proud. "My newest novel."

Annabeth felt her mouth drop open. "You're a writer? Really?"

Nodding, Sally shrugged her shoulders bashfully. "It pays the bills – sometimes."

A thought arose in Annabeth. "When I first met you – you left to see your editor, you said. It never occurred to me..." she trailed off, wondering why she hadn't recognized Sally's occupation.

"Yes, we've been working on finishing my book," the woman replied.

"That's great," the teenager said. "Do you mind telling me what it's about?"

Sally smiled like she had been waiting for that question. "Well, you see, it's about a young girl..."

Percy's mother continued relaying her book to Annabeth. Telling a story of young love in 1930's Southern U.S. She was intrigued as Sally spoke of late Prohibition and the Great Depression, and how true love could conquer all hardships.

Annabeth sat at the counter, her hands folded under her chin, eyes wide as she listened to Sally intently. When she finished, Annabeth sighed dreamily. "I can't wait to read it..."

The woman chuckled and smiled fondly. "You like it so far?"

"Like it?" Annabeth asked dramatically. "I love it. I'm restraining myself from asking for teasers."

Sally's grin was wide as she responded. "Annabeth, you will be the first to get the teasers. I assure you."

The teenager squealed happily, standing up to retrieve the glass of water. In Sally's story telling, she had forgotten her dry throat. "So, you have a doctor's appointment, today?" the mother asked conversationally.

"Yes," Annabeth sighed, an unintentional smile making it's way onto her face. "I'm twelve weeks. I think I get my first ultrasound."

Sally smiled nostalgically. "I remember my appointments for Percy. He was such a rambunctious baby, bouncing all over my uterus. He would never sit still!"

Annabeth chuckled along with the mother. She liked talking to another woman who had been through the same stuff as she was going through right now, and she _really_ liked talking about fetus-Percy.

Sally stood up, muttering, "I think I still have his ultrasound pictures." Annabeth was pretty sure she squealed in excitement, really looking forward to seeing them.

The teenager had just poured milk into her Cheerios, when Sally came back into the kitchen. She held many small pictures in her hand and Annabeth almost knocked her bowl over, running to go and see them.

In every picture there was a small bean shaped fetus thing that she figured was Percy. The baby was visible in this cone like shape. It wasn't in color, just shades of blue and black. The pictures were quite fuzzy and undetectable, but it seemed like Sally could see every detail clearly.

The baby got progressively larger and more developed in each picture and when they came to the eighteenth week, Sally stopped them and cooed at the sight.

She pointed to the spot between the baby's legs. "This is when we found out he was a boy!"

Heat started slowly rising to her cheeks as she realized she was staring at baby Percy's penis. Super. "Er, that doesn't look like a... wiener."

Sally tilted her head to the side, studying the little baby. Her nose wrinkled in concentration when she said, "I suppose not." She glanced back at Annabeth and noticing her red cheeks, chuckled. "Oh, sweetheart, I know it's nothing you haven't seen before."

Annabeth's gaped at the mother, tripping over her words, trying to answer. "It's not- What? No," She spluttered smartly.

Giggling affectionately, Sally patted Annabeth's hair back. "It's alright, dear. There's no need to feel embarrassed. It's not like I suspected any less. I mean, you're pregnant with his-"

"Mom, what are you talking about? She looks scared."

Percy walked into the room in all his messy glory. All over his head, hair stuck up in different directions. His shirt was rumpled and his smile was lazy. He looked really cute in the mornings.

"I was showing her your ultrasound pictures. You were such a cute baby, Percy," she cooed.

"What? No! Mom," he groaned, running over and snatching the photos out of his mother's hands. "This could not have been good."

Sally chuckled, amused. "Annabeth doesn't think your weenie looks right in this one."

The woman plucked the picture out of the stack in her son's hand, gave it to Annabeth, and walked out of the room. She knew perfectly well what she had just done and left wearing a triumphant smirk.

If Annabeth thought she was humiliated, she was nothing to Percy. He was mortified. His mouth opened and closed and for a few seconds, he didn't say anything. Then, "Mom!" he yelled after her. "This is betrayal! Traitorous in the highest of ranks!"

Annabeth's face was on fire and she refused to glance at Percy. She wondered if she had ever seen him blush. She couldn't remember as her mind was muddled, but she didn't want now to be the first time, if so. She heard his sigh and he gently pulled the picture out of her hands. "Oh God," she heard him mutter.

Last night was a movie playing on the insides of her lids. It seemed that Percy wasn't thinking about what had happened as he only studied his baby picture. "How can it look right or wrong? You can't even tell it's there..."

"Hmm?" she hummed, turning back to him questioningly.

He shook his head, standing up. "It's not even nine o'clock in the morning and I already feel like I've just walked out onto a stage of people, wearing nothing but Thor undies – and not even boxers. More like a pair skin tight briefs."

Annabeth laughed at the image in her head, causing Percy to smile at her. He'd been trying to make her laugh – to sever the tension. He always thought of things like that when she would have just awkwardly walked away. Percy was charming.

Percy cut the distance between them, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Anyway, Good Morning."

"Mornin'" she replied, hoping to all hell that her red face had cooled down. "You sleep okay?"

She was trying to make small talk and she didn't even know why. It would have been easier for them to ignore each others' presence until it was time to leave for her appointment, but her mouth had other plans.

Truthfully, she didn't know what to make of Percy's reaction. He seemed as relaxed and carefree as he always was around her – and that sort of scared her. Was almost kissing her not of any importance to him? Had he already forgotten about it?

The thought was absurd and she immediately pushed it out of her mind. Percy was _always_ chilled out. About everything. That was just his attitude. She had nothing to worry about.

Especially because there was a possibility that Percy had wanted what they were about to do as much as she had. She never really let herself believe that Percy could potentially harbor feelings for her, because the thought was such a foreign concept. It was too good to be true.

But what if he did? What could they be to each other? It could mean so much to them, specifically in their situation. Though, Annabeth didn't want to push it. Under no circumstances would she let Percy be with her because he felt obligated to, for getting her pregnant. She wanted to believe that Percy had true feelings for her before she pursued anything with him.

The whole case was confusing and she felt like she was stuck at every turn she made. She wished for some clarity at a time like this, because it was just starting to seem like everyone was out to get the two of them. With everything that had happened with both of them and the problems of Thanksgiving – they were going to have to talk about that sooner or later. There was no way he could be handling _that_ news well.

"Annabeth?" she vaguely heard Percy call. She glanced at him to see his brows drawn in concern. "Are you alright?"

"What? What's wrong?" She looked around, searching for his cause of worry, but not finding anything demanding immediate attention.

"Nothing," he brushed off. "You just sorta zoned out on me."

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Perce. I honestly over-think everything." And it was true. She seriously just needed to relax.

The boy smiled at her. "There's nothing wrong with thinking," he pointed out. Changing the subject, he asked her, "So, you ready to see the doctor today?"

His look was excited and Annabeth's heart went out to him. Thanks to her, this would be his first appointment. Surely he was nervous and excited, but he had nothing to worry about. Hopefully, they could see some cool things about their baby today.

"Yep," she told him, popping the 'p'. "Are you excited?"

"Yes," he told her bluntly.

She laughed at his honesty, bumping his shoulder with her own. His easy going attitude was making it easier for her to just act cool around him. They didn't have to be awkward about the kiss or whatever it was. It simply wasn't in Percy's nature to be uncomfortable. He just made things easy.

Annabeth glanced over at the photos Percy had left on the table, they were placed there _unprotected_. Quick as lightning, she grabbed the pictures into her hand and sped off down the hall with a mischievous smirk. She could hear Percy's loud footsteps following her. "Hey!" he yelled after her, failing to hide his laughter as he chased her through the house.

Yeah. Percy was easy.

...δ...

"I can't wait," she enthused, sitting back in her seat and strapping the belt over her waist.

Percy's smile was blinding as he settled into the driver's seat. Adjusting his mirror, he replied. "Me neither." He pulled out of his driveway, sparing one last wave at his mother waiting on the porch.

Annabeth's legs were bobbing up and down and she couldn't keep her hands still. This kind of thing tended to happen when she got excited, and the more she thought about it, the more anxious she got. She was pretty sure that twelve week check ups were a milestone.

She could tell that Percy was feeling the same emotions as well. His fingers tapped on the wheel and they reached out to change the radio station before any of the songs finished. After he went to change the station for the fourth time in less than five minutes, she stopped his hand with her own. "I'll pick the next one," she said lightly.

He smiled sheepishly and returned his attention to the road. She selected a station playing _Riptide_ by Vance Joy. The song was happy and interesting so she hoped it would keep his ADHD at bay for a little while.

The drive was rather silent until Percy spoke up. He lowered the volume on the radio and cleared his throat. She gave him a questioning look and he said, "We should probably talk about last night."

Something felt like it had dropped in her stomach. Of course her excitement would be ruined by reality. She should have known he would want to talk about it. Percy wasn't one to stall or beat around the bush. He was usually very straight forward.

"Alright," she spoke quietly.

He turned onto a side road and their bodies swayed to the left. "I'm not going to dance around it – I was going to kiss you."

"You almost did," she pointed out. There was a rock in her stomach and she was debating if it was possible to jump out of the car without harming the baby. Probably not, she would just have to endure.

Percy nodded, pulling to a stop at a yellow light turning red. He turned to face her momentarily. "Well– "

She knew what was going to happen at this point. This was the part where he refused her politely, saying that he just wasn't interested in a romantic relationship. Annabeth wasn't ready for the rejection and embarrassment that would ensue from that. "Listen, Percy. You don't have to-" she struggled for words. "have to do... _this_. We can forget about it."

The boy looked confused for a second as the light glowed green and he proceeded down the road. When recognition finally hit him, his face twisted and he asked, "What makes you think I want to forget about it?"

Annabeth was quiet. She wasn't sure what he was trying to say, because in all honesty, she wasn't letting herself believe that to be an admission.

He continued when she didn't say anything. "I'm not going to forget about it anytime soon, so I suggest we talk about it now, before things get awkward."

Was this his way of letting her down gently? He wanted to break things off before her feelings got too involved. "Percy, I'll understand if you didn't mean anything by it. Things happen – I get it. You're impulsive."

The black haired teenager scoffed. "You think that it was impulse driving me to kiss you?" He turned to face her again, slowing down on the road slightly. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw was tight. "Annabeth, all of this-" he gestured wildly with his hands. "Is it your way of telling me that _you_ don't want anything like that?"

He thought _she_ was trying to let _him_ down gently? "No," she rejected immediately. "I'm just saying that your not obligated to... pretend to like me." Her finish was awkward and she winced.

Percy scowled at the road. "You don't think I like you that way?"

"I know you don't, and it's okay. We're, like, completely different people. I never expected you to see me that way."

"Are you kidding me, right now?" His voice was rising. "Annabeth, don't be thick."

Her head whipped around to meet his frustrated stare. "Excuse me?"

"You think," he continued, obviously working something out in his head. His expression was becoming more angry by the second. "That I'm not interested in you...even after everything I do. I hold your hand, I kiss you, and I appease your every whim – _happily_. I slept with you for Christ's sake! And you still think that I can't possibly like you?"

"You were drunk!" she defended. "You had no idea what you were doing!"

"I had _one_ drink that night, Annabeth!" he exploded. "I was buzzed at most. I knew perfectly well who I was having sex with."

Her stomach fluttered and tears sprang to her eyes. This was not going well. He continued, "And you really think that because of our differences of _status_ at _school_, we shouldn't even like each other," he spat. "That's bull shit."

"Percy-"

"I couldn't have made my feelings any more clear to you. I just don't understand why you're so against us having feelings for each other. I understand that you might not feel the same way, but don't you dare degrade my feelings into nothing. I know how I feel."

"Percy," she tried again, this time with more force. "I'm not trying to put off your feelings. It's just-" she sighed forcefully, making the decision to let all of it go. She needed to be truthful for once. "Percy, I had been crushing on you since the _eighth_ grade, okay? So, no. Sorry that it was hard for me to believe that you could actually like me. As you can see," she pointed at her stomach, "I don't get lucky that often."

He was quiet as he pulled into a parking spot at the doctor's office. His eyes closed and he leaned his head back. "Is that true, Annabeth?"

"Of course it's true," she bit back.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he breathed out exasperatedly. His hands rubbed his face tiredly and he turned to face her once again. "I have real feelings for you, Annabeth. I have for a while – and before you ask, it was definitely before I got you got pregnant... This could have been a lot easier."

She lost the fight in her and she felt herself soften at his words. Annabeth had been ignoring his feelings for months and it wasn't fair to him. Her own insecurities had blinded her from being happy with Percy. "You're right – about everything. I'm sorry, Perce."

"Don't be sorry," he sighed. His hand reached over the console and gripped hers lightly. "But we need to be honest with each other. And _maybe_," he returned with a pointed look. "We shouldn't doubt each other either."

Annabeth gave him a watery smile, ignoring the tears in her eyes as she reached over the annoying little compartment box and hugged him. He went on, "Right now, we have to get to your appointment, but we'll finish this talk later."

Nodding, she pulled back and he pressed a kiss on her wet cheek. "I'm sorry for making you cry. We good?" he asked.

"Yes," she sniffled lightly, still holding his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Percy smiled and squeezed back. "That's great. Now, let's get in there. I wanna see my baby."

* * *

**Sorry if everything seems a little rushed. I was having trouble writing this chapter, but in my opinion, it was better than the last one.**

**Thanks for reading, and hoped you liked it! Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 5th, 2014**_


	12. The Ultrasound

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

"Does Thalia usually come with you to these things?" Percy asked as the two teenagers walked into the doctor's office together.

Annabeth approached the front counter, signing them in. "I don't know. She was supposed to come today, but Zeus and her are spending the day together. They need to work some things out between them – they've been a bit distant since Jason started going to a boarding school in California, but with everything that happened yesterday, they needed a break."

"Jason?" he inquired, leading them to a seat in the back of the waiting room. He chose two chairs next to a fish tank with colorful little aquatic plants and toys in it. Go figure.

She realized that maybe he didn't know about Thalia's brother. The girl winced, because she really didn't want to be the one to tell him about it. "Thalia's brother. He's sixteen."

"Great," Percy muttered bitterly. "Are there any more family of mine that I should be aware of?"

"Yesterday, I think Zeus mentioned something about an uncle and two cousins in Maine..."

The boy leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. "Jesus Christ...When does the drama end?"

Annabeth suddenly remembered something she heard Zeus say. "I'm sorry about your dad, Perce."

His body stiffened slightly, but she found him beginning to relax as he slipped a hand into hers. "It's fine. I was only five."

Her thumb rubbed his knuckles comfortingly. She wanted to ask what happened to his father, but didn't want to intrude either. Pushing down her curiosity, she relaxed into the chair.

The excitement she felt wasn't dying down any time soon. She had used her phone to look up what kind of procedures take place in this particular appointment, and she had read about women seeing their baby on the ultrasound screen. Not all of them were as lucky though. Some of the older posts talked about getting to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Although hearing the baby's tiny heartbeat would be completely amazing, a small fraction of her thought she might be disappointed if she didn't get to actually _see_ her baby.

She couldn't know what her reaction would be, but she hoped for lack of embarrassment she would not cry.

Both of Percy's hands started playing with her fingers. His nervous habits all included moving around; the boy couldn't sit still for more than a few seconds. He brought her captured palm up to his mouth and pressed a light kiss there.

All of his movements were meaning something more to Annabeth now that she had a grasp on how he felt about her, and in truth, she felt giddy at his little gestures. He truly had feelings for her and he was expressing those feelings through his actions.

Just as she moved her hand palm up to intertwine their fingers, the sound of someone clearing their throat cut her off. Glancing up briefly, Annabeth had to do a double take.

"Mom?" she squeaked. The woman's eyes, _if possible_, were colder than the last time she'd seen them. Her lips were pulled into a tight scowl. She wasted no time on the pleasantries and cut straight to the chase.

"What is the meaning of this, Annabeth?" Her eyes raked over Percy's form like he was something Annabeth had failed to take out to the trash. The girl's posture straightened in courage that she didn't really feel. Annabeth was in trouble.

"The meaning of what?" She flipped her cell phone around in her unoccupied hand nonchalantly.

Athena's eyes snapped to the boy holding Annabeth's other hand. His face was impassive, but she could feel him stiffen under her mother's scrutinizing gaze. "This boy. Don't think I don't know who he is. What is he doing here?"

"Excuse me?" Percy broke in with a frown. "I'm here for my baby's doctors appointment. Is there a problem with that?"

Her mother's mouth snapped shut and the shades of gray in her eyes swirled dangerously. "_Your_ baby?" The steely gaze was fixed on the couple's entwined hands. Then back to Annabeth, practically oozing disapproval and bitter discontent. "Is that so, Annabeth?"

On the outside, Annabeth might have come off as defiant, but she was actually scared stiff. She lifted her chin, meeting her mother's glare. "Percy Jackson is my baby's father."

She was in big trouble. She knew that much.

It seemed as if Athena hadn't been letting herself believe it until that moment. Her eyes only widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing in disgust at the two teenagers. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

Annabeth was about to reply with a speech, telling of how Percy wasn't a terrible guy, and how she'd liked him for years before, but her mother beat her to the punch. The woman shook her head. "No daughter of mine would associate with the likes of _this_ kind of company." Giving a pointed look of contempt at Percy, she continued. "I came here today to apologize and take you home, but now I see that no apology is needed. You've happily taken up residence with the scums now, and I recognize that it's with them that you belong. Have fun degrading yourself into nothing. Don't come back."

Athena promptly turned around and stomped to the exit.

As Annabeth stood up to...slap her mother across the face? Yeah, that sounded good. Percy held her wrist, preventing her from following the scornful woman out the door. Hot tears burned in her eyes ferociously and she wanted nothing more than to cause harm to her mother for the disgusting words that left her mouth.

The way she had talked down at Percy, and right in front of him as well. Sparing him a glance away from her mother, she saw his face desperately grasping for indifference, but his eyes told all. Percy was hurt.

She jerked harder against his grip, wanting to shove one of the office's metal speculums down her mother's throat. "Hey," Percy soothed. "Calm down. She's gone already. Good riddance and all that."

Annabeth refused to let the tears slide down her face. Her mother's reaction was rude, and tactless, and in all honesty, Annabeth believed that her mother had really been the one acting like scum. Definitely not Percy.

Never before had she seen Percy not defend himself in a fight, and she truly believed that this was not the time for him to finally hold back. Her heart clenched as she thought of what her mother had said in front of him. Percy should have, like, flicked her or _something_. Not just sit there and take it.

One thing Athena said that had been true was that Annabeth belonged with these people. Yeah, she did. With Sally and Percy. She didn't belong in a house full of people that wished her to be disowned. _They_ were the ones who were truly missing out.

Percy's fingers gently rubbed circles onto the back of her hand. He had gotten her to sit down and was now trying his hardest to calm her.

Annabeth didn't think she could forgive her mother for this insult.

The woman had acted like a caveman, forgetting all morals and manners. She had been a demeaning and bitter hag, and _Jesus Christ_, why didn't Percy let her hit the damn troll?

Taking deep breaths, she tried to control her anger. Luckily, a nurse called them in and she relaxed slightly in anticipation. Percy was still trying to mask his frown, but he did seem considerably brighter after being called in.

They settled into the room – Annabeth sitting on the bed that was covered in the waxy patient paper and Percy taking the chair directly beside it. His eyes scanned around the room excitedly, soaking up every detail.

One of his legs bobbed up and down in the seat while he clasped his hands together, trying to keep them still as well. He had to be on the tips of his toes right now – Annabeth could relate.

Only a few minutes later, Dr. Lewis came in through the door. Immediately, the room shone a little bit brighter. His smile was wide as he caught sight of Annabeth. Approaching her, he shook her hand energetically. "Annabeth, great to see you again, dear."

His graying hair was cropped close to his head and he was wearing a blue button up under his lab coat. The doctor turned to Percy, who stood up to greet the man. "And who is this? I'm Doctor Lewis." He thrust his hand out, giving a friendly smile as he shook Percy's hand firmly in the way that all men do.

"Percy Jackson. I'm the father." The boy's look was confident. He stood tall, smiling winningly, as if impregnating Annabeth was like getting an A on a test. He reminded her of those proud dads on TV that put their kid on a pedestal before they've even been born.

It had her painfully aware of how much she desired that.

She wanted Percy to be proud of their baby, regardless of the fact that they were seniors in high school. It wasn't that she wanted him to boast to everyone that they had become the same statistic that all teenagers were warned about – Not that at all. What she wanted was for him to love this baby as much as she did already. And she trusted that he did.

It was in practically every action he performed. She could convince herself nothing less.

Next to Percy, Annabeth was able to see how short Dr. Lewis really was. She held back a chuckle, watching the man tilt his head upwards to talk to the teenage boy.

The doctor didn't seem to perturbed by the fact, he was still smiling widely, genuinely happy to be making the acquaintance of the two teenagers, which was refreshing to say the least. "You know the drill, Annabeth." He told her, handing her the cup she needed to tinkle in.

As Dr. Lewis left the room, Annabeth headed over to the attached bathroom. She called over to Percy that she would just be a minute, and to wait. With that, she did her business in the bathroom, coming out only a few moments later.

She sat back onto the uncomfortable bed with a sigh. Her hand drifted to land on her small protruding stomach, drawing lazy patterns on the bump. She hummed softly, waiting for the doctor to come back.

Percy was smiling at her until he asked a question to which his eyebrows dipped. "Your doctor's a dude?"

"Mm-Hm," she chuckled at his troubled face. Like he couldn't decide on whether to frown or smile. "Why?"

"Well, uh." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanna be upset with the fact that he's a guy, but he's just so...pleasant."

Annabeth laughed freely. Percy didn't like the fact that her doctor was a man? "This is so rich. Are you serious?"

It seemed that his face decided on a frown. "Don't laugh at me. Why couldn't you have just had a woman doctor? Aren't all teenage girls supposed to be infinitely insecure about themselves or something like that?"

She wanted to be mad about that comment. Because, really, it sounded bad. But in context, she could see that he was making no effort to offend her, and his concern was slightly adorable. Still, she had to keep him in check. "Percy, don't go there," she warned lightly.

It must have dawned on him what he said, because he backtracked immediately. "I'm not saying that _you're_ one of those girls that can't see their beauty or whatever. I'm just saying that, like, maybe a female doctor would have been the better choice... And not that you need decisions made for you or whatever. I get the whole _independence_ thing, ya know-"

"Percy," she laughed. "It's okay. You're rambling, bud."

He broke eye contact and smiled sheepishly. "Right..."

Then, Doctor Lewis strolled into the room, the familiar computer-notebook rested on his hip. When he spoke, he filled his words with dramatic pauses that had them laughing. "Alright kids. Are we ready... to see... _drum roll please_... your little meatball of a fetus?!"

Percy and Annabeth locked eyes, smiles forming instantly on their faces.

...δ...

They were taken into a different room; one that included a comfier bed, thank God. A machine was set up to the side of her. The monitor was small and the keyboard was attached at the bottom. Looking at the whole thing was intimidating – It was big and had too many buttons that she couldn't find a use for, but she was excited nonetheless.

Percy's hand slipped into hers as soon as she sat down. There were a few chairs set up beside the bed, and he chose the one closest to her head. The walls in the room were painted a light pink color and there were all kinds of pregnancy posters on the wall. Some advertised breast feeding and some warned of _Pertussis_ or 'Whooping Cough.'

Dr. Lewis was in the room, but he said that another doctor would be performing the ultrasound. He stood off to the side while he waited, typing something in his notebook.

The door opened smoothly and a young man sauntered in. His face was young – because for some reason, he looked to be eighteen years old. Dazzling white teeth peaked out from hiding as the man smiled at Annabeth. Percy's fingers stiffened.

"Hi, I'm Apollo." The hunky doctor held his hand out to Annabeth, but Percy's own intercepted, shaking the man's hand roughly.

"Your name is Apollo?" Percy asked, scowling. Annabeth threw him a confused look, to which he promptly ignored. His demeanor had changed so suddenly, she felt like she might have gotten whiplash.

Dr. Lewis chuckled, "Well, he's _Doctor_ Apollo. But he must have something against labels."

"Yeah." Apollo moved out of Percy's guard, reaching to greet Annabeth. "They suck."

The sandy-haired doctor smiled at her, putting his pearly whites on display, and for a second she thought she'd faint, because Apollo was _hot_. He grabbed a bottle of something off to the side of the machine and Annabeth knew she'd seen enough movies to know what it was. The cold gelly stuff that they pour on all the women's bellies.

She felt Percy drop into the seat next to her, but by now, she was completely focused on the intimidating bottle of goop in Apollo's hand. "Lift up your shirt, please."

Annabeth could have sworn she heard a growl escape Percy's throat. And in that moment, she felt like a fool. Of course, Percy was _jealous_.

Although the thought sent a spark straight up her body, she felt guilty for swooning over her pretty doctor. Because really, all of this was supposed to be for _them_. No one else would be as involved in this appointment as Percy and her, because this was _their_ baby. She needed to start paying more attention to him.

Annabeth pulled her shirt up, only enough to reveal her puny bulge of a belly. Then she proceeded in grabbing for Percy's hand that hadn't reconnected with hers yet. He looked up at her with his ocean eyes. She could detect little swirls of blue towards the pupil, but the shades were virtually nonexistent at the rims of his irises, where the color shown an unmistakable green.

Her fingers clutched his, trying to express her excitement. A little smile confidently made its way back onto his face and he gave a gentle squeeze back.

And just then, she felt the cold gel squish onto her relatively warm stomach and she couldn't help herself but to scramble backwards at the uncomfortable sensation. Percy's eyes whipped to Apollo, who was studying the back of the bottle at that point. "You could have warned her," he all but snarled.

Apollo's expression turned sheepish. "Sorry about that, Miss Chase."

Knowing that Percy meant well, she didn't scold him for being such a caveman, but she did roll her eyes at him, silently telling him to chill with the hostility.

Apollo pulled out a stick that sort of reminded her of a tazer. It was connected to the ultrasound machine by a thick white wire. And well, she felt a little more scared now. After turning the machine on, he applied the head of the stick to her lower abdomen and slid the gel around. It felt weird and very, very wet.

Percy laughed at her disgusted expression as she stared wide-eyed down at her stomach. Apollo plopped into a rolling chair and wheeled up close to her. He kept his eyes fixed on the screen, gliding the stick in swirls around her belly.

"Come on," he muttered, gently putting more pressure on the tool. "Booyah!"

Annabeth's eyes jerked to the monitor where a little apparatus of a fetus was displayed. Apollo cooed loudly, exclaiming, "Ta-Da! A baby!"

She couldn't pay any attention to him, though, as all of it was trained on the little bean of a baby on the screen. She felt Percy's hand grip hers tighter, but still, all she could see was the monitor.

Dr. Lewis piped in. "Your baby is about the size of a plum at this stage. Almost all of the baby's vital systems are fully formed."

She didn't really want to think of her kid as a food – as Dr. Lewis had referred to it twice now – but she still appreciated the input. Percy sighed and she finally tore her eyes away from the baby. She had to see his reaction.

His vision was focused on the screen, just as hers had been. Both of his hands gripped the one of hers that he had been holding and his bright irises jumped all over the ultrasound equipment. It appeared that he could identify the little baby, as well. She had been afraid that she wouldn't have been able to recognize her own child, but the angle was really well placed.

Apollo spoke up then. "This is the baby's little noggin." He used his finger to gesture to the baby's small head. Annabeth could make out a puny nose developing. "And this is it's arms and legs." He pointed to the folded limbs. The baby was in a great position to see all of it's little appendages and such. She smiled at the sight.

"God, he's so freaking cute," Percy mumbled, still staring.

Annabeth smirked, nudging her nose into his shoulder. "He?"

He smiled fondly, finally glancing at her. "I have a hunch."

Laughing freely, she wiped some stupid wetness out from under her eye. All sense of pride flew out the window, because she really couldn't stop those stinking tears from escaping.

"Are you crying?" Percy cooed, shifting so he could examine her face more clearly.

Her head tucked downward out of his vision. "No," she denied. "The sun's in my eye or something."

All three men in the room looked around. Questioning looks were thrown her way, though they all looked highly amused. "The sun? Or something?" Percy asked. "Annabeth, you're crying."

"I'm not!" she protested as the doctors laughed at her. "Okay... Maybe a little," she relented reluctantly, crossing her arms and huffing lightly.

"It's okay, Annabeth." Dr. Lewis stepped up to the screen, examining their little baby. "This is quite an emotional moment. Your child is beautiful."

Percy was staring at the monitor again, green eyes big and happy, as he replied. "Hell yeah, they are." His tone was lost, as if he had trouble concentrating when he was looking at the baby, who had shifted it's arms and now it looked like they were waving.

"Oh, we are _so_ keeping this one." Apollo clicked a button on the machine and a snap-shot sound could be heard. The doctor took a couple more pictures from different angles. "I'm gonna go copy your pics on a disk and print out a few physical ones." He removed the big stick from her tummy and left the room with Dr. Lewis.

As soon as they were gone, Percy sighed happily and leaned over, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "That was so much fun," his muffled voice spoke against her skin.

She grinned broadly, her fingers moving to run through his hair. "Yeah," the blonde agreed quietly.

Percy continued, his arms attempting to hug her, though he struggled because of her position on the bed while he was still sitting in the chair. "We saw him." His head lifted to make eye contact with her. "There's, like, a real, actual, _honest to God_ baby in there."

Percy rubbed circles into her stomach, which should have been gross because of the goop that hadn't quite dried yet, but he didn't seem to care. Angling his head to face her bump, he whispered to it, "Hello, Percy Jr."

Annabeth laughed loudly, watching Percy have a conversation with her stomach in the middle of a doctor's office. "What if they're a girl?" she asked.

"Hmm," he hummed in thought, still not moving his head from where it laid on her chest, watching the bump as he talked to it. "Hello, Annabeth Jr."

Again, she laughed, because Percy was just too adorable. "I don't know if I wanna learn the baby's sex until we have them. I kinda wanna be surprised," she told him.

"Really?" he said, swirling his thumb in round shapes over the baby. "I want to know."

She smiled at the back of his head, which still hadn't moved to face her. "You can know. I'll wait. But if you spill the beans, I'll throw you off the roof of Thalia's house."

He snickered. "Are you sure that's fair? For just one of us to know? I can wait, I'm not impatient."

"No," she disagreed. "You want to know. It'll probably be better this way, with one of us knowing."

"Okay," he said. She could almost hear the smile in his voice. "When do we get to find out?"

She pursed her lips, trying to recall what she had seen on the _What To Expect When You're Expecting_ website. "Not the next appointment – which is at sixteen weeks. I think it might be the one after that, possibly."

"Wow. That sounds soon."

Chuckling, she replied, "Not when the appointments are monthly."

"Oh." She could hear the pout in his word. Cooing, she rubbed his back soothingly.

Apollo slipped into the room, Dr. Lewis trailing after him. "So, your baby looks really healthy. Growing good and all that jazz. We've got your pictures. Bring the little CD back each time and we can add more ultrasound photos on it each time you come in."

"Rad," Percy muttered, sitting up from his spot on her body and taking the disk from Apollo's outstretched hand. He seemed okay with the young doctor, now that he had seen his baby and spent some quality time with Annabeth – she felt giddy at the thought of cheering him up by just paying attention to him.

Dr. Lewis gave them the usual warnings and information, and he added in that he was happy for the father to be involved – which for some reason had the tips of Percy's ears shading pink. It was so cute, she felt a swoon coming on.

They said their goodbyes to the two doctors, and left with broad smiles on their faces. Annabeth swung Percy and her entwined hands back and forth as he laughed at her childishness – though he doubled the effort at their swinging hands. The bag that held their pictures and disk was in his left hand and it rocked around as they ran to the car, occasionally laughing, and in Percy's case, almost tripping – twice.

Annabeth was able to forget about the shit her mother had said and it seemed that Percy was too, judging by his jubilant mood. They drove back to his house, where Sally was waiting.

Percy showed his mother all the pictures, grinning proudly and pointing out specifically the one where he thought the baby looked like him. He bragged to his mom about his beautiful and healthy baby and Annabeth just watched on, smiling as wide as him.

Sally turned to Annabeth, sending a knowing wink. She felt a light heat fill her cheeks, but she couldn't bring herself to feel bad about it. Seeing Percy this way was just _way_ too great to get all flustered.

As Percy went on and on about every detail of the appointment – from the arrogant, though grudgingly attractive doctor, to the color of the walls and bed sheets.

Sally listened carefully and Annabeth knew that she liked to see him like this as well. He was full of life and the teenage girl remembered a time when she thought Percy wouldn't want to be involved. That he would resent and ignore her.

Annabeth couldn't have been any more wrong.

* * *

**Sorry if updates have been a little spacy. With my regents and all... So yes, the updates will be a bit annoying, but I don't think four or five days is _that_ long to wait, right?**

**Forgive me?**

**Thanks for reading, and I hoped you liked this chapter! Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 6th, 2014**_


	13. The Roof-Top Date

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Annabeth was grabbing an iced tea out of the Jackson's refrigerator when she heard her cell phone ring.

Immediately, she knew it wasn't Thalia. Her and Zeus had extended their little father/daughter day to a father/daughter _week_ in the Bahamas. Annabeth had been staying at Percy's house since Thanksgiving, which was only two days ago. Today was Saturday.

Zeus had still allowed her to stay at the mansion while he was absent. They trusted her and technically she _was_ living there now. But Annabeth passed up the offer due to the fact that she didn't want to live alone for a week by herself, or with Thalia's maids.

Nope.

Percy and Sally were happy to have her stay, even if one of them (_cough_, Percy) believed she should just move in already. Sally must have known how Annabeth felt about it, because she didn't push. Although, she did make it clear that Annabeth was welcome.

Annabeth didn't want to move in yet, because it was just too fast. Too much, too soon. She and Percy still hadn't discussed their 'feelings' or whatever, but the whole scene in the car had only happened yesterday. It was clear to them that they liked each other, but the conversation probably wouldn't come as easy as talking about his favorite bands with Thalia – and she still might have been slightly bitter about that. Whatever.

They would work it into their schedule soon enough. Though, she had to admit, this topic of discussion was considerably different than the last one they were putting off – which reminded her that she still needed to start applying for jobs.

Annabeth gingerly reached for her phone on the counter. She knew the only person who could possibly be calling – and she was right in guessing that it was her father. Athena had only seen her and Percy at the doctor's office yesterday and Annabeth hadn't at all predicted a phone call from her family.

Frederick was probably only calling to chew her out for 'letting Percy have his way with her' or some other equally debatable form of reprimand. He felt the exact same way as Athena, and Annabeth was sure that after he got done wagging his finger at her, he would likely propose an official disowning.

And that was enough to have her second guess the phone call. She hadn't talked to them since she'd left. Her dad had called a few times, but she'd ignored him.

Now though... she didn't want to ignore him. She couldn't put a word on her feelings, other than just wanting to prove something to them. Annabeth wanted her family to think that she didn't seek their approval – even if she did secretly, but they didn't have to know that. She wanted them to know how happy she was without them, and how much she truly cared about Percy – that she wasn't just some random girl to him. That she meant something to someone, at least.

Everything she had within her was telling her not to answer the phone, but impulse and some idiotic form of curiosity burned through her, and she slid her thumb across the screen, taking the call.

Slowly, she pulled the phone up to her ear and surprisingly, no words left her mouth. She couldn't find anything to say.

"Annabeth?" her father's low voice called through the phone. "Are you there?"

"Dad." Her greeting was curt, short, and void of any emotion. She heard his sigh from the other end.

"Oh, Annabeth," he breathed out wistfully. She could imagine him leaning back in his brown leather desk chair, pinching the rims of his glasses as he pulled them away. Only enough to give him room to rub his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, almost looking like he was pinching the bridge of his nose. "What are we gonna do with you, kid?"

His tone was light, and Annabeth stopped for a second, because she really hadn't expected this. Her dad's voice lacked the sense of hostility that she had predicted. She wasn't quite understanding the direction of this phone call as she had previously thought. "Dad?" she said quietly this time. Damn her for letting a splash of hope color her words.

"Your mother talked to me yesterday. An altercation at Dr. Lewis' office?"

She sighed, planting her rump on one of the bar stools set along the wooden counter top. Her fingers delicately wiped the condensation from the rim of her glass. "Altercation is a bit of an understatement. I thought it might turn into a full-on battle royale."

Hearing his chuckle through the phone was unnerving, because she was pretty sure he was supposed to be yelling at her. She braced herself for what she was sure would soon come. "...What's this about, Dad?" She went on tentatively.

The man hummed in thought. "Let's start with your choice in companionship, shall we?"

She shook her head, although her father couldn't see her. "If this is you trying to convince me to stay away from him, just know that _that_ is not under debate."

Frederick made a thoughtful noise, although it was tired sounding – as if he had expected nothing less than just that. "That wasn't _exactly_ my intention."

"Well, out with it then," she pressed.

"I wish you would have told me."

Being struck stupid wasn't something Annabeth would pride herself on. She was usually very good at keeping herself _there_. But something about his words sort of just pushed her brain to the side, making more room in her head for all the goop in there that kind of just said, _Whaaat?_

He continued. "I get that your mother might not have been as understanding, but Annabeth... I would've wanted to know. Of course I would have been mad, and yes, I agree that I had been distancing myself from you these past couple weeks, but I don't think it was too much to ask to just _know_. You didn't have to keep that from me. "

"I didn't?" she asked incredulously, a bit of bite striking her tone. "Neither of you could ever understand what happened between me and him. I made a mistake, yeah, it was a serious one, but that mistake was getting pregnant. Not being with Percy. I don't regret that. And I still could have used a little support. With the way – not just you, but the whole family had been treating me... I- I couldn't have told you. It would have just given you one more reason to hate me, and I really didn't need that."

The other end of the phone was silent. She continued. "You abandoned me during the toughest time in my life. You left me alone when I needed you most and you truly think that I could have told you something like that?" Her voice broke, but she went on. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just don't agree with that."

"Sweetheart." His voice was pained, like he desperately wanted to prove her wrong. "I didn't know you felt like that – and maybe I should have. I'm so sorry, Annabeth. I know it hasn't been easy for you, and part of that is my fault. But you're my daughter and I love you. We all do, and we miss you so much. The boys, they've been asking about you."

"And mom..?" She knew she didn't want the answer to this particular question, but how could he say that they all missed her, when her own mother had told her not to come back just the day before.

He was silent yet again. Through the headpiece, she could only hear the sound of his fingers tapping against what she knew was his mahogany desk. She remembers sitting in her father's office when she was a little girl. The room was known to be foreign and uncharted territory back then. The soft chair that sat before the wooden desk was large and swallowed her tiny body as she climbed upon it. Her little legs dangled off the end and both of her hands could barely reach the arm rests at the same time. The little girl was only allowed in this room when her father needed to speak seriously to her. She had been in there when she found out she would become an older sister.

"Your mother loves you, Annabeth. Sometimes it's hard for her to show that. All that she has done and said has been out of her care for you. She only wants what she believes is best, although it may not seem like it sometimes. I'm sure she is sorry for what she did."

"How can I believe that she cares at all for me, when she demeans me in public, along with the people that have supported and accompanied me through it all? Especially when she has not done a _damn thing_ to lessen the struggle of what we're going through."

How could she be expected to just forget what Athena had done – forget her cruel words and how she has treated Annabeth as of lately – when the woman seeks no forgiveness in the first place? Annabeth didn't want to let her mom off the hook – not yet, at least. She had learned nothing and still believed she was not in the wrong for what she had said to the two teenagers.

Some adults forgot that they were just kids, after all. Things that were said could not be taken back. It was easy for these older people to run their mouths, because they did not see the consequence in their actions. But these kids, they may not be able to look past an insult. They may not be able to see that one person's opinion did not matter. Because at this stage in their life, something like that wouldn't leave them. They'd lye around, thinking about it, the words like a boomerang, coming back every time they were able to evade the thoughts. And that kind of a thing could really crush someone.

"I never asked for pity, or for everything to be handed to me on a silver platter... but I wanted a mother figure in all of this. I wanted support. I wanted to feel like I was loved. And I wasn't given that privilege – to feel loved by the people who are supposed to unconditionally." Annabeth took a deep breath, the effort of it rattling her lungs. "Don't get me wrong, Dad. I appreciate what you're doing right now, but please don't apologize for her. If she truly regrets what she did and thinks wrong of her actions, then she can talk to me herself."

The sound of his heavy sigh blew through the head piece. "When did my little girl start acting so grown up? Annabeth, you may not want me to apologize for her, but I'd like to apologize for myself and my own faults. I regret what I put you through – the things I'd said, _and_ the things that I hadn't. I know it's been hard on you, and I pray that we can move past this."

"Thanks, Dad." Her smile was watery, she vaguely registered the sound of the front door opening and boots scuffling in. "I'm really glad you called me today."

"Me too, Annabeth. I love you, Sweetheart. I know it hasn't seemed like it much, lately. But just know that you are welcome here any time you need, understand?"

"Yes," she sighed happily. "Love you too. I'll call the boys later."

"Bye, Baby."

She chuckled at her dad's cheesy attempt to make nice. "Bye. Now get off the phone."

The last thing she heard was her dad's laugh as she hung up on him. There was a happy feeling swelling in her tummy and she sighed contentedly. Annabeth felt good. She ran the conversation back through her head, and she had to admit that she was proud of the way she carried herself. Her dad even commented on her mature demeanor.

But most of all, she was happy that she was able to make up with her dad. It felt like another ten pounds was lifted from her shoulders. Even though she should have been wary of the little geyser of hope that had opened up inside of her, she couldn't stop herself from believing that maybe all the problems with her family could be fixed.

No matter how much she told herself that she didn't care about them anymore...she did. How could she just forget about them? They were her _family_, and she missed how everything used to be. She wanted to go back to the times when Bobby would run into her room and hide from his brother during tag, and Matthew would come stomping in, demanding to know where his brother was being kept. All the memories had been painful to think about and she had been pushing them away, but now, she let that small bit of hope infiltrate her thick walls that were used in preventing the hurt that was sure to come.

Her heart fluttered as she thought of a big, happy family – Including her baby and their father.

The sound of someone clearing his throat knocked her from her internal debate. She hadn't realized she was smiling to herself in a kind of dazed way until Percy gave her a funny look. "Who was that?" he asked tentatively.

"Hmm?" She was still kind of lost to the world and Percy wasn't really making any sense.

The boy walked around the other side of the counter, reaching up into the cupboard and retrieving a glass. He used his forefinger to point to her phone that was sitting on the wooden counter top. "Who were you talking with?" He turned his back to her as he raided the fridge for something to fill his cup and went on. "You know, the person that you said you love? You're kinda smiling in a dopey way and I just wanna know who you were talking to. That's all."

"Oh," she laughed. "That."

Percy turned back to her and lifted a charcoal eyebrow. His eyes were narrowed and he looked a little peeved. "Yeah. That."

The blonde girl shook her head, still chuckling. "Percy, that was my dad."

His face lost its tightness as she said that, one side of his lips quirking up in a sheepish half-smile. "Oh."

"Oh," she repeated, snickering mockingly.

"Shut up," he muttered, grabbing a jug of chocolate milk out of the refrigerator and filling his glass up to the rim, leaving no unoccupied space in the cup.

"Percy," Annabeth sighed. "This is how accidents happen."

He waved her off, pulling some kind of intricate move to get the milk to his lips without spilling. "That's too much effort for a drink. You could have just poured two glasses!"

"Stop distracting me. I'm trying to concentrate."

She rolled her eyes, although it was a bit fondly. Returning to her own iced tea, she frowned when she saw that the ice had melted and that now the drink was probably dull and flavorless.

"What's the plan for today?"

Percy put down his cup, considerably drained. He drawled out a thoughtful noise. "What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know," she answered. "It's cold out and I miss Thalia. I bet it's really nice in the Bahamas this time of year."

Percy snorted. "I think it's nice in the Bahamas at _all_ times of the year."

"Very true," she sighed.

The boy pursed his lips in thought. He shook out his sooty hair, disheveling it, much to Annabeth's pleasure. His eyes lit up and he looked at her with his crooked smile. "I've got an idea."

"I got that," she laughed. "I could practically see the light bulb flash above your head."

The world was privileged with his wide smile and Annabeth figured maybe she could stare at that all day without getting bored. When he didn't continue, she asked, "Well, what is it?"

"It's a surprise," he sing-songed, stepping up on his tiptoes and falling back down heavily.

Her eyes followed him as he rushed out of the kitchen, upstairs to his bedroom. "Should I be scared?" she called after him.

Percy's voice was muffled as he replied back from upstairs. "For your life."

...δ...

That was how Annabeth found herself blinded by Percy's old bandanna, being tugged up some stairs as he talked to her. "Come on, Slowpoke!"

"Percy, what are you complaining about?" she yelled incredulously. "I can't see!"

She could almost hear his eye roll. "That's kinda the point."

Annabeth had no idea where they were or where they were going. All she knew was that she put up a fight getting here. Percy practically had to beg her to put on the blindfold. His hands were gripped around her wrists as he pulled the both of them up the creaking steps.

Wherever they were smelled musty and old. She had to resist the urge to sneeze when their feet kicked up the dust spread about the place. Annabeth could tell that it hadn't been touched in a while.

The sound of a door opening and a burst of cold air whipping at her exposed face alarmed her. "Percy, where are we?"

"Chill your jitters, Annabeth. This is supposed to be _fun_, but you're making it out like I'm kidnapping you or something."

"How do I know you're not?"

"Well, there's always enough time for that, I guess."

She felt around for his chest, and when she found it, she roughly pushed him away. "Don't be an ass-sucker. Just show me where we are."

"Pushy," Percy complained quietly before reaching his hands around her head and untying her bandanna. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the scene in front of her, but when they did, she gasped.

Percy had moved out of the way to give her full view of the street before her. They were on some kind of rooftop, downtown. From where they were, she could see the tops of shops, bricks, sidewalks, and the neighboring parks surrounding the avenue. Pine trees were freckling the fields in the distance and the grassy plains only held the woods behind it.

The dusty smell no longer filled her nose and she could now take in the scent of coffee beans and pastries. Looking forward, she could see a small cafe in front of the building they were standing on. She recognized it and she suddenly knew where they were.

"The bookstore?" She turned to him with an awed smile. "How did you manage this?" The blonde twirled around, throwing her arms out and gesturing to the beautiful view of their town. It wasn't New York City, but she could definitely get used to this town's rooftop scenery.

"I know a guy," Percy waved off, approaching her from behind and wrapping his arms around her waist. His voice was in her ear as he spoke. "Do you like it?"

Annabeth whipped around abruptly, putting them in a tight embrace. Her arms came around his neck and she hugged him. "Of course I like it! This is...amazing, Percy. Really." Her words were muffled against his shoulder, but she knew that he could hear her clearly.

"Was it worth the surprise?"

She pulled back, studying his grinning face. Finally she relented, stepping away from his embrace and sighing. "Just this once, Jackson. Don't get any ideas."

He pulled his coat tighter around him as a gust of wind blew at them. Shaking his hair out, he tugged Annabeth's hand over to where she could see a bench set up. His book bag was leaned up against it and as they sat down, he reached in and pulled out two sandwiches.

Annabeth cooed, pinching his cheek. "How sweet of you."

Swatting her hand away, he couldn't help but to smile and she knew he was trying to hold back. "Eat," he commanded, already taking a large bite out of his ham and cheese.

The air was cold and the wind that blew at them chilled her, but sitting here like this with Percy, had her feeling warm on the inside. Her chest swelled and she bit her lip. She wanted this so much – the relationship kind of stuff and it seemed that he was more than willing to oblige.

"Doughnut for your thoughts."

Her attention was brought back to Percy, who held out a bag of powdered doughnuts in her direction. She chuckled as she plucked one out of the bag. As she turned the little pastry around in her hands, studying it, she pursed her lips and told him, "I think the phrase is, 'penny for your thoughts.'"

"Well, I don't have any money. You took one, and that's an agreement in my book. So, out with it." He put the bag down on the floor and patted his hands on his jeans, dusting them off. His left arm curled around her waist and he pulled himself closer to her. "I wanna know what you're thinking."

Annabeth steeled herself, ready to tell him the truth. She was never one to coward back and shy away from interactions with other people, but with Percy, she was different. She was _always_ different with him, and she figured maybe she was okay with him being her exception.

"I was thinking about how much I like this. And how much it means to me."

"What? The doughnuts?" He asked jokingly, nudging his nose into the side of her head.

She shouldered him hard. "No, you dumb-butt. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Percy laughed, the noise rich and enticing, and God dammit, she wanted more of that beautiful sound. "I'm glad you like it."

Annabeth wanted to say, _I like you_. But she figured that might have been too forward. She settled her head onto his shoulder, placing her half-eaten sandwich on its bag and pushing it away to give them some more room. Mayonnaise on her leggings would have put a bit of a damper on their nice little lunch.

His contented sigh swept over her hair, and he let his head fall onto hers. What happened next, she should have expected. Because she knew that Percy was a straight-forward, get to the point kind of guy most of the time. But when he spoke, her breath sort of stalled in her lungs and she was suddenly afraid she might choke on air.

"You said you've liked me since the eighth grade...Is that true?"

Her body squirmed against his, but his grip was like an iron vise and he wasn't letting go of her any time soon. Percy pulled her body between his legs, her back now flush against his chest. His big hands rested on her stomach, rubbing shapes into her lower abdomen, where the baby stayed. He knew what he was doing – she would have to answer him. Have the relationship talk.

Which maybe should have been a good thing to Annabeth, considering that she'd wanted this for so long, but she was nervous. How could she not be? He might have admitted to liking her, but she was still just a teenage girl, and teenage girls get nervous sometimes. It happens. Especially around boys.

"It is true," she answered back lightly, like it was no big deal. Even though she might have given herself away in the fact that he could probably feel her heart pounding through her back into his chest. Maybe it was better that they were sitting this way. She didn't have to look him in the eyes, and Annabeth wondered if that was his intention in the first place.

"Alright," Percy said, burying his face into her curls. She would never admit it, but she felt his grin against her head. "Do you mind if I ask how? What could I have done to charm a fourteen year old Annabeth?"

"Don't ask me, buddy," she laughed. "'Cause even I don't have a clue."

His own laugh rumbled against her back, and she bit her lip. She could feel him everywhere they touched. Even if their skin was protected by clothes – she could feel where their bodies met. And his hands continued fondling their baby.

"You wanna know the exact moment that I knew I liked you, Annabeth?"

And there he went with the surprises again. "What?" she asked incredulously. "Since when?"

"Oh, come on." He rolled his eyes. "I already told you that I liked you before."

She scoffed at the air, her eyes watching as a small car pulled into a parking space up against the sidewalk. "Yeah, that doesn't mean I believed you."

His hands released their hold on their baby and found hers from behind. He entwined their fingers, now holding the connected hands against her belly. "Well, believe it. 'Cause I'm about to tell you a story that will both humiliate me and strip me of my bad ass persona."

"You are not a bad ass, Percy Jackson." Even if he was – which, _yes_, he was – she wouldn't let him know that.

He shook his head, smiling. "Tenth grade, English class."

"What?" She wrinkled her nose in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It means," he went on. "That a sixteen year old boy with dyslexia didn't think it was worth the struggle to actually attempt the reading assignments, so he paid attention elsewhere."

"And that would be..." she pressed.

He squeezed her fingers. "Well, there was this cute blonde that always sat in the front of the classroom. She used to bite her lip and tug on her little princess curls." At this, he raised one of his hands out of hers and bounced a golden ringlet of her hair. "She was beautiful, and my little punk-ass could only ever dream of getting attention from someone like her."

Annabeth's head dipped as she let all the information settle in her head. Percy Jackson. This kid, whom she had liked for years now, confessing that he had a sort-of-maybe crush on her, as well. "Wow," she murmured.

"Yeah," he laughed into her hair. "Wow."

"God dammit," Annabeth swore. "All this wasted time... And it took a one-night-stand turned pregnancy to get to this point. Why are we so difficult?" Her last question was directed at him.

"You know," he started. "What's the fun in being easy? We're interesting. And I like us."

And yeah, maybe Annabeth's heart kind of started doing _the jerk_ in her chest, and she _really_ wanted to kiss him, but she refrained, keeping the moment innocent and happy. She couldn't forget this memory, even if she were dipped in the river Lethe.

His arms tightened around her body and she leaned back into him. Annabeth knew what she was about to say next would change things for them. She knew that they could both see this as a definite in their eyes. A title, and a relationship. Starting with her response.

"I like us, too," she whispered.

* * *

**Well, I took my Geometry Regents yesterday. And I can safely say that I will probably be in that class next year, because _fuck_ summer school and I've failed that test. Let's talk about my mental incapacity.**

**I hope you liked this chapter. I was given the idea of Percy telling Annabeth about his feelings by a nice person named desperatelycanon. So thank you, my dear.**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated, as well as follows and favorites.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 6th, 2014**_


	14. The Bathroom Hideaway

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

The next Wednesday after Percy and Annabeth's rooftop lunch, Thalia and Zeus came home. The teenager had been spending the last few days at the Jackson's, and if she was being honest with herself, she couldn't say that she didn't enjoy it. Because she did. A lot.

And maybe that had something to do with the fact that Percy was now her boyfriend.

It wasn't like things were different between them. Percy had been treating her like his girlfriend for weeks now. He held her hands, he kissed her, and he appeased her every whim – happily. Just as he had said.

But things still felt...better.

When Percy's truck pulled into the school's parking lot, Annabeth wasted no time in getting out of the car and rushing Percy along with her into the building. She had missed her best friend dearly and was excited to spill the big news of her and Percy's new found relationship.

In school the past two days, it had been weird without Thalia. Percy still walked her to all her classes, as usual, and he sat with her at lunch. During Spanish class, he had taken the liberty to force some random kid to trade seats with him so he could be next to Annabeth.

Students around the school had begun to wonder more about Percy and Annabeth's relationship, obviously wanting to know why the sudden "friendship" had bloomed. They hadn't outed themselves, because really, it was no one else's business whether they were together or not. Once Annabeth started showing, then maybe they could be open, but she didn't want to deal with the judgment and regular high school bull shit that would ensue from that just yet.

She was scared for the reaction of her fellow peers, but in the grand scheme of things, that would be the _least_ of her worries. In a few short months, Annabeth would be in charge of another human's life. Luckily for her, after Percy and her left from the bookshop last Saturday, she was able to grab an application for work, and now she was just waiting for them to call back – _if_ they decided they wanted her.

When she got to her locker, Thalia was waiting there with a grin as wide as Santa's waistband. "Hey, Momma," she greeted cheerily.

Being called "Momma" had a weird effect on her. Her tummy felt light and she wanted to smile really big. "Thals," she acknowledged, pulling her best friend into a hug. "How you been?"

Thalia sighed dreamily and Annabeth could make out a splash of red across her nose and cheekbones where the sun had burned her. The colored streaks in her hair were fading considerably into pale blues and purples. "I have been absolutely fantastic."

"Obviously."

Percy's hand brushed against hers as Annabeth pulled back from the embrace. She almost immediately entwined their fingers, but thought better of it. Percy had other ideas though, as he glanced at her, smiling and wrapping an arm around her waist.

The blonde looked around the hallway nervously and noticed that only a few people were giving them weird looks, along with the punk standing in front of them. Not many people paid much mind to them, though. Percy had always been a touchy person, but to Annabeth, this seemed a little more intimate than other times.

Thalia raised a quizzical black brow, glancing at the hand that had settled on Annabeth's hip. "Huh. Interesting."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, shifting so she was out of Percy's reach. "Clever as she may be, Thalia's oblivious. So, if _she_ caught on, it's probably too much."

The boy scoffed and shook his head. "Too much? Why _should_ I have to hold back? Who cares what those petty teenage brats think? Let them see me wrap an arm around my girlfriend."

Trying to ignore Thalia's shocked expression that simultaneously held a knowing smirk, she turned to Percy. "I don't want any more trouble from them than I'm already going to get – and I'm not saying that you're wrong, Percy. You're right that you should be able to do that kind of stuff, but they're going to give _both_ of us hell and you know that."

His ocean green eyes were trained on her as she spoke and once she finished, his face visibly softened. "Don't worry about me. But I'm not gonna let anyone hurt _you_. I swear."

She shook her head. "Don't make promises like that."

Percy looked like he wanted to protest, but Thalia interrupted. "A relationship has not changed you guys at all."

Sheepish looks were exchanged, to which the punk just laughed. "Aw, you two are cute. See, Annabeth? Nothing to worry about."

Annabeth's head snapped to her friend, giving off a warning glare. Her boyfriend raised his eyebrows. "What were you worrying about?"

"She just got a little jea-"

"Absolutely nothing," Annabeth cut in. "Thalia has no idea what she's talking about. All that hair dye must have killed some of her brain cells."

Her best friend flicked her ear, but shut her mouth nonetheless. The two teenagers walked Annabeth to her next class, both standing on either side of her. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was still slightly jealous of her best friend. Thalia might not be able to become romantically involved with Percy now that they knew they were related, but Annabeth was still envious of Thalia's life.

Things were bound to be easier for Thalia – but Annabeth wasn't playing victim. Not at all. She took full responsibility for what she did, though, she couldn't help but to _want_ what her friend had. And sometimes she thought that Thalia took advantage of what is so easily given to her. She had just come back from a trip to the Bahamas for crying out loud – a trip she had gotten for pouting and stomping her feet at Thanksgiving. Annabeth couldn't even imagine her mother dropping all of her issues with the young girl and whisking her away to a beach vacation after the screaming match at the doctor's office.

The blonde shook her head, ineffectively dispelling the thoughts that surely had no place in her mind – She didn't want to feel this way toward her best friend. But she could blame her oversensitive emotions on pregnancy hormones.

...δ...

Spanish class was a doozy.

Like usual, Percy had taken up residency in the seat to the right of her, shifting his desk so it was a couple of inches closer. Thalia rolled her eyes and smirked in the way that was reserved for all things Percy, as she sat in her seat in front of Annabeth.

Class started off normal. A few exercises to get the majority of the student's brains on board for the foreign language. Señora Williams walked around the room checking homework, as students chatted away. When the teacher came in between Percy and Annabeth's desks – having to turn on her side to shuffle through – she frowned at Percy's blank table top.

"¿Dónde está tu tarea, Percy?"

The teenage boy shifted in his seat, leaning forward with his brows drawn. "Uh, _quay_?"

Annabeth stifled a laugh that was threatening to escape from her throat. "_Where's your homework?_" She mouthed to him silently.

"Oh, uh, mi tiara is in mi..." He frowned at the desk for a few seconds, before springing up in triumph, snapping his fingers. "In mi cara."

Annabeth's head fell into her hands and she allowed a small laugh to bubble out of her. Thalia threw her head back and she cackled loudly, not caring at all. Annabeth turned to Percy again, this time with a little amused smile on her lips. "_Cara means face._"

Señora Williams _tsked_ as she turned her back to him, surveying Annabeth's perfect homework. "There will be a punishment, Mr. Jackson."

Percy slumped in his chair, a scowl etching his normally handsome face. "That little conversation just then wasn't punishment enough?"

The teacher scooted through the desks, standing in the front of the classroom, smiling mischievously. "¡Clase! Percy has volunteered to tell us a story... in Spanish!"

The class burst into laughter and cheered him on, flaming his fire. His scowl deepened. "_Volunteered_," he scoffed quietly. "Yeah, my left ass-cheek." Annabeth gave him a pitied look, but couldn't help in thinking that they were all about to be thoroughly entertained.

As everyone expectantly turned to him, Percy cleared his throat, taking a deep breath afterward. He leaned forward in his seat, all eyes on him as he started to speak. "Um, una girl-o, ela...fútbol americano y queso... something, something...no like-ito dresses. Like-ito cleats y the song-ita 'If I Were A Boy' by Beyoncé. Fin." The boy leaned back in his seat, smiling lazily like he was satisfied. "Perfecto," he muttered.

The teacher just kind of stood there for a few moments, looking at Percy like she really couldn't believe that just came out of his mouth. "Well done, Percy. Make sure to keep up with your homework." The woman shook her head, plopping down in her seat with the most intense look of bewilderment that Annabeth had ever seen.

"How are you even in this class?" A Stoll twin whispered to Percy, snickering loudly. "How have you even made it to twelfth grade Spanish with a vocabulary like that?"

Percy turned around in his seat, facing his friend and grinning wickedly. "You don't wanna know what I've done, man." The two howled in laughter, and Annabeth sent Percy a glare, promising to speak of that particular comment later.

...δ...

During lunch, Percy sat at Annabeth and Thalia's table, which only consisted of a few other people that were in their small group – who, in honesty, were all vastly different from each other. It wasn't the first time Percy had shown up at the table. He sat there most days, as long as Annabeth was present. The kids had come to know him well.

One boy, Leo, had clicked with Percy easily. He had said that Leo reminded him of Travis and Connor Stoll. Annabeth liked that Percy got along with her friends. It made her feel like he actually did want to involve himself in all the trivial aspects of her life that no one else took the time to even notice.

As the three sat down, Thalia was greeted with several hugs and warm welcomes. The group could always count on her to bring the crude humor and hard truth to the table. She was missed during her vacation.

Annabeth pulled out the sandwich that Sally had packed her – turkey on rye. It was actually pretty good, and didn't contain the bad fats that some mothers would scowl at. Not that she would normally care, but she needed nutrients for her baby. Sally had also packed her an apple and a Greek yogurt with cinnamon granola, too.

For some reason, Percy refused lunch from his mother each day, instead opting to go out and buy his lunch at Mickey D's or Burger King. She had to remind him that they were supposed to be saving money, but he didn't really pay much mind to it, saying that he had "tons of money saved up, Annabeth. Don't worry about it."

She was worrying about it.

The blonde started nibbling on her sandwich while Leo entertained the group, balancing his water bottle on his nose like some kind of circus animal. The groups laughter was loud, but it melted in with the hysteria of the cafeteria.

Then Annabeth heard a hushed whispering behind her. She lowered her lids nonchalantly, as she peeked around her shoulder to listen in on the conversation between a few _painfully_ preppy looking girls.

"_If she put down the sandwich every once in a while, then maybe her clothes would fit better_."

"_She's probably putting on weight, because all she does is sit at home and study. If she went out and had a life, then maybe she could shed a few pounds_."

"_Her stomach is literally gross. She definitely should _not_ be wearing that T-shirt. I can see her rolls from here_."

Annabeth's breath caught and there was a rock in her stomach. Those girls were talking about..._her_. They had been calling her fat? But she wasn't fat. Her doctor had told her that she had gained the perfect amount of weight so far.

She didn't understand. This morning had been the same as usual. She could barely even _see_ her bump. But now, girls were noticing it and they were _mocking_ her.

Not only that, they had insulted her for being a good student. What? Was making fun of her appearance not enough? Self-consciously, she glanced down at her stomach, trying to see what those girls saw.

And now that they mentioned it, she could see that her stomach did protrude slightly out over her lap, and _Oh God_, she _was_ getting fat. The more she thought about it, the heavier she felt. Physically and mentally. She wanted to go hide in the bathroom for the rest of the day or find a big hoodie to wear.

Annabeth turned back to see the girls and saw that they were giggling, while discreetly shooting glances in her direction. Against her will, traitorous tears pricked her eyes and she felt her stomach churning. The feeling was like a mixture of hurt...and betrayal.

She had known these girls her whole life and she hadn't done one thing wrong to them. And they spoke poorly of her, just because of a little weight gain. Annabeth didn't deserve that. And they had been careless enough to let her hear them, as well.

Not thinking, she just wanted to get out of that cafeteria – away from everyone's stares. She felt self-conscious about her stomach now and turned to Percy before getting up.

"Can I borrow your sweatshirt?"

He gave her a quizzical look, shrugging off the jacket and handing it to her. "You cold?"

She shook her head absent-mindedly, slipping his sweatshirt over her shoulders and zipping it up over her stomach. She didn't want anyone to see her if they were just going to taunt her behind her back for the barely-there bump. This was only thirteen weeks. What were they going to say when she got even bigger?

Glancing at the girls behind her one last time – who were laughing loudly, as if Annabeth covering herself up amused them even more – she stood up to leave. The blonde didn't know where she was going, but she knew that she didn't want to be made a fool of. It felt like she swallowed a bowling ball, and Annabeth knew that if she didn't get away from the derision of these girls, she would start to cry, and that was _not_ going to happen in front of the whole student body at lunch time. Nope.

As she made to turn around, a hand gripped at her wrist. "Where're you going? Are you okay?"

Percy's eyes looked up at her, confused and worried. Her face shifted so he couldn't catch the redness in her eyes, and she rasped a reply, cursing her voice for so dominantly presenting her real feelings. "Bathroom. I'll be back quick."

But she wouldn't be back quick. She had no intentions of coming out of that bathroom for the rest of the day – or maybe the rest of the pregnancy. That thought sounded enticing.

Her boyfriend looked like he didn't believe her, pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes at her. "Are you sure?"

Rolling her eyes and putting out a nonchalant front, she patted his shoulder and told him exasperatedly, "Yes, Percy."

Slowly, one finger at a time, he released her wrist, and she gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Annabeth didn't want to be around her friends right now. She wanted to be alone, because _like_ _hell_ she'd have a damn conversation about her embarrassment and shame that was caused by a couple of high school girls. Double Nope.

She thought she was free – and she almost was – but Percy had already been suspicious, and as she turned around, a small, almost _inaudible_ sniffle escaped from her nose. The sound of Percy shooting up in his seat was louder than the actual little blubber.

Without thinking, she hurried as quickly as she could to the nearest girls' bathroom. It reminded her painfully of the time when she had run from him all those times a few months ago. She could hear his loud and heavy footsteps, and he was calling out to her.

Soon she had found a suitable restroom and all but threw the door open. Now that Percy had caught her, her emotions felt like they were running even more intensely, and she really just _needed_ to cry.

There was only one other girl in the bathroom. A little freshman standing in front of the mirrors, brushing her long, brown hair.

"Get out," Annabeth told her, sending the innocent a look that was supposed to be intimidating.

It must have worked, because the poor little girl gulped and ran from the room. Breathing deeply, Annabeth flicked the lock on the door and backed away slowly. Her hands moved to hold her face and she silently let the first few tears break the dam.

Normally, insults didn't really bother Annabeth. But what those girls had said was _mean_. And maybe a small part of her _did_ think she deserved it. It was punishment for getting pregnant. She brought this pain upon herself.

Only seconds later, she heard a series of loud raps on the door, alarming her. The door knob shook and she knew that someone was trying to get in. She was right when she heard him yell at her.

"Annabeth Chase, you let me in this bathroom, _right now_."

She shook her head, even though he couldn't see her. Her face was a mess and she was obviously crying. The tears weren't stopping. No, she didn't want to have to explain herself.

"Just give me a minute, please... I, uh, I feel nauseous," she called back to him, willing her voice not to crack.

"I don't believe you. You weren't feeling sick five minutes ago." She heard the door groan, and she could imagine him pushing his body up against the worn wood. "I would kick down this door if the janitor weren't watching, but he knows me and could take down my name. It wouldn't be good for either of us if I got suspended again, but God dammit, Annabeth, you know I'll do it if I have to."

"Percy, please!" She yelled, frustration clear in her voice as it cracked. "Just... stop! I need _two minutes_, and then I'll get out of here. Okay? Go. I'm fine."

Annabeth felt like a drama queen. A few snarky comments from teenage bitches and she had caused a freaking scene with her boyfriend. Luckily, class was still going on and the only people who'd seen were probably the janitor and the freshman that Annabeth had banished. But still... she felt high-maintenance, like she was making a big deal out of nothing. But she hadn't intended it to be that way. She just wanted to cry a little bit in the bathroom without her boyfriend catching her!

The other side of the door was silent and she breathed a sigh of relief. Waddling into the handicap stall, she rolled a few squares of toilet paper over her hand, bringing it up to wipe her face. Retreating to the mirror, she splashed cold water over her cheeks, she didn't know if that worked or not, but people always did it on the movies, and it usually worked out for them.

Looking in the mirror, she turned to the side and tilted her head, studying her body. Really, this morning her stomach hadn't seemed this big. Surely, it couldn't have grown just because the girls talked about it, but that was what it seemed like. It looked huge now, and she didn't understand how everyone wasn't noticing it.

She lifted the hoodie and her T-shirt up, exposing her tummy. Rubbing a hand over her baby, she whispered to it. "Hey. Don't worry about what those girls say. Your job is to get big and healthy. You keep growing, baby."

Wrinkling her nose, she scowled at her reflection in the glass. She was a hypocrite, not even being able to take her own advice. Annabeth was supposed to get bigger. She couldn't have a meltdown every time someone talked about her behind her back. It was bound to happen a lot over the next few months.

With that encouraging thought, she dreaded leaving the bathroom. The girl didn't want to go back out there, just to be ridiculed and made fun of again. And then she would have to deal with Percy. God bless his heart for being so concerned, but seriously, Annabeth didn't want to discuss her pride being tossed into a freaking garbage disposal.

Taking a steadying breath, she popped her sore muscles and approached the door. Staying in the bathroom sounded like a really good idea, but when the bell rang, tons of girls would come banging on the door, trying to get in.

The blonde unlocked the door and slid through it. Immediately, she tripped over something and stumbled before catching herself. Whipping back around to see what had caught her, her eyes traveled along thick sweatpants-clad legs, up to the sheepish face of her boyfriend. "Sorry," he said, grimacing.

"What are you doing?" Percy was sat on the floor, his legs stretched out from him, laying along the edge of the door. He stood up, dusting off his pants.

"Uh, waiting for you."

Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought I told you to go."

"I thought I told you to let me in," he countered.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she bit her tongue to keep from snapping at him. He was only trying to help and she didn't want to push him away.

Almost hesitantly, Percy approached her, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist. "Listen, I can understand if you don't want to talk about something, but _please_, don't run away from me. It was painful enough the first couple times."

The girl winced, accepting his hug. "Sorry," she mumbled into his shoulder. "I'm fine, though. Really."

His head shook against her, messy black hair tickling her forehead. "Don't say you're fine, when you're obviously not."

Annabeth pulled back, trying for a smile, because she really did appreciate his concern – to an extent, at least. "I'm just being dramatic. Blame my hormones. I _will_ be fine, I just need..." Her hands moved to grasp the air, as if an idea was tangible. "...I don't know what I need. But I'll be fine soon. I promise."

Her boyfriend gave her a pained look. "I hate seeing you like this," he murmured, pushing a curl behind her ear. "I don't think you're being dramatic. I think your reaction to whatever it was that made you upset is justified. Alright?"

She nodded, sniffling quietly. Percy made a noise that was close to a whimper and he pulled her head into his shoulder, softly stroking a hand through her curls. "Annabeth, are you going to be okay to go back to class?" He asked her, pulling back and connecting their hands while placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah," she affirmed, waving off his worry. "I told you. I'll be fine."

"Are you fine _now_?"

Annabeth was quiet. She still felt like shit and honestly just wanted to go home – to her actual parents' house – and snuggle up on the couch, watching _Aladdin_ with her little brothers. She wanted to forget about everything for just an hour or two, and pretend that she was still the same Annabeth as she was before she became pregnant. But she wasn't that same girl. She was different than she was, for sure – she just didn't know if that was a good thing.

"I will be." Annabeth didn't know if she was lying or not.

* * *

**Guys, I know that authors usually get better about updating in the summer, but I don't think that's me. A lot of bull shit and feelings come along with this season for me, so I'm sorry if my updates are crappy. Just a warning.**

**I kind of rushed this chapter and I know it's not my best, but like I said, Summer has kind of been like a hell to me these past few years and I'm just trying to spit out these chapters before some of y'all get mean. BUT I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it, and I thank you for reading.**

**Follows, favorites, reviews, and whatever. I feel annoying for talking about it every time.**

**Bella**

**P.S. Sorry if this author's note came off a little...whiny? You can ignore these if you want. Sometimes I don't even like listening to myself talk.**

_**Edited July 6th, 2014**_


	15. The Reveal

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Annabeth really should have known that Percy would act like a watch dog the coming days after her little meltdown. The sad thing was... she kind of liked it.

He was even closer than before, which she hadn't thought possible. But it seemed like he was _always_ near her at school. With him around, she found it easier to ignore the stares of some of the students. Of course, there really weren't that many of them, and they had no idea that the weight gain was actually due to a pregnancy, nonetheless, she hated the all of the negative attention.

It seemed like the days were passing by too quickly. She was getting bigger and bigger each morning. She'd moved back into Thalia's house, much to Percy's protest, but she really didn't want to be an intruder in the Jackson's house right now. No matter how much they disagreed to that, Annabeth knew how she felt about it.

The girl had still been feeling the effects of the bullying, and she grudgingly felt more self-conscious. She had started wearing looser clothes and walking straighter – hoping that the efforts had her looking thinner.

By the time she was around fourteen and a half weeks pregnant, she couldn't button her stupid jeans. It had been a struggle enough to get the damn things up her chunky legs, but now she couldn't even get them closed. More girls at school would start noticing soon and they would have a field day with it.

Everything about the situation was frustrating, because she didn't want to let a few petty girls get to her. She didn't want to have to look twice in the mirror. She never had a problem with her image before, but now she knew other people were starting to take specific notice in her faults...and it sucked. Even if it was only three or four girls at most – more would notice soon. And that just wasn't something she was looking forward to.

She really didn't want to take this new-found frustration out on her baby. And she hated herself a little more when she realized that indeed she was feeling a sense of resentment towards them. It totally wasn't fair, but she couldn't help but to think that if this baby hadn't been conceived, her life would have been a lot simpler.

The thought made her feels guilty and ashamed. She had fought so hard for this little baby, and she'd be damned if she lost her good relationship with them just because of a couple of lousy insults.

About a week and a half after the meltdown, her and Thalia were relaxing in the punk's bedroom, just talking. They were comfortably sprawled across her bed that they'd been sharing since Annabeth moved in. It wasn't that there was not enough room in Thalia's house for Annabeth to have her own space – there was – but the blonde felt more comfortable treating her stay like an extended sleepover, rather than what it really was.

Thalia rolled over on the bed, stuffing her face into her white pillow, sighing. "I'm bored, Annabeth." Her voice muffled against the fabric.

Annabeth glanced at her best friend, scrunching her eyebrows. She had been flipping through some pregnancy books she had gotten at the bookstore – who had called her back, practically _begging_ her to start the job. They thought she was perfect for it, in fact, she was overqualified. She felt excited to start working soon.

"Well, whatd'ya want me to do about it?" Thalia turned around from the pillow, her bright blue eyes jumping around the walls, examining the posters she had seen a thousand times before.

When her eyes hopped back to Annabeth, the intense blue color latching onto her own gray ones, the punk cocked her head to the side, gaze straying downwards. "You starting to look rounder, ya know."

Annabeth's gaze snapped to her midsection, instinctively pulling and adjusting her shirt. "Great," she muttered. That was exactly what she wanted to hear.

The punk cocked a dark eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Miss Chase?"

Groaning, she leaned backwards on the bed, coming face to face with Thalia. "I just keep getting fatter and fatter."

For a second, Thalia was silent. Confusion dusted her features. "But...You're pregnant."

"Yeah, so?" Annabeth brushed her thumb across her growing bump. "Girls at school don't know that."

"Girls at school?" Her friend's eyebrows were drawn tight. "What do they matter?"

She huffed, turning her back to Thalia's face. Her fingers idly fidgeted with a loose string from the black blanket. "They matter to me. They talk about me behind my back."

There was more silence for a few seconds, and then she felt Thalia poke her in the shoulder. Her voice was surprisingly soft as she spoke. "You heard people talking about you?"

Sniffling, her hand snatched a tissue from the nightstand. She _so_ did not want to be crying right now. "Some girls were making fun of me a couple of weeks ago. They called me fat."

"You've barely gained any weight!" Thalia protested, trying to coax Annabeth into turning back around to her. "How did they even notice?"

Annabeth swatted her hands away. "You just told me that I looked rounder. And now you're telling me that I barely look like I've grown."

Thalia sighed impatiently, and she could feel the bed shift as the girl sat up. She felt her friend's eyes on her back. "Annabeth, that's because I'm _looking_ for growth. To someone that isn't expecting to see you get infinitesimally bigger, I don't see how they could have even noticed."

"Well, those girls did." Annabeth huffed again, squeezing her eyes shut and willing herself not to cry. "They basically called me a dweeb and said that I was getting fat because of it."

"It's only those few girls. They don't mean anything."

"You don't get it, Thalia," Annabeth snapped, finally turning around and facing her. "You don't know what it's like. Your biggest problem right now is deciding what you're going to have for dinner tonight: fatty cheeseburgers or greasy tacos! I'm not even allowed to eat that stuff."

Thalia's expression washed over with hurt. Her eyes narrowed disbelievingly. "Annabeth, really? What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" She sat up as well, matching the punk's height. "You're sitting here telling me to get over what those girls are saying about me, when you have no idea what it's like to have any kind of problems to deal with in the first place. You have no clue what I'm going though."

Her best friend kept her face calm, but the look in her eyes told Annabeth that she was hurt by her words. "I'm not telling you to get over it. I was trying to help you feel better." Annabeth turned her face to the side, showing that she didn't believe what she was saying. Thalia pulled Annabeth's chin back to look her in the eyes. "Annabeth, I'm sorry that those girls hurt you, and really, when we get back to school on Monday, I'd like for you to point them out so I can have a talk with them – but first, you've got to believe me when I say that nothing that comes out of their mouths matter, nor is anything they say true."

The blonde blinked rapidly, attempting to clear the wetness in her eyes. Thalia reached over and pulled her into a hug, which she gratefully returned. "They're stupid and if they can't see how great you are, then _they_ are the ones missing out. You only need the approval of the people that matter; Sally, Percy, your baby, and me."

"I'm sorry, Thals." Annabeth squeezed her friends shoulders, feeling beyond guilty for blowing like that. Her jealousy had gotten the best of her, and had let her hurt her friend. "Thank you."

"Hey," Thalia pulled back, giving a reassuring smile. "We're only human. I was expecting you to have a little freak out sooner or later."

Annabeth was grateful that her friend could be so understanding – especially when that wasn't Thalia's personality. She was surprised she didn't get a mean right hook to her jaw.

What her best friend had told her did partially soothe the sting of the previous comments that she had heard. Even though they still lingered in the back of her mind, she was able to try and look past them. Thalia was right when she said that she didn't need the approval of anybody else but who mattered.

She tried to keep that in mind, though she knew it was still going to be hard.

"Let's go do something fun. Get your mind off of all this... junk."

With a soft smile breaking out onto her face, Annabeth followed Thalia down the stairs, where they would spend the rest of their night watching movies and making forts like they did when they were younger. Like they did when things were simple.

...δ...

School the next day was sure to be rough, as Thalia and Annabeth had stayed up all night. It was a lot of fun, and she realized how much she missed hanging out with her best friend when she wasn't jealous and emotional.

Percy was at her side the second he arrived at school. Walking in the doors, he greeted his friends throughout the hallway, trying to make his way to his girlfriend. After an extremely brief conversation with the Stoll brothers, he jogged to Annabeth.

"Hello, beautiful." He placed a swift kiss on her cheek, which thankfully went unnoticed by the rest of the student body.

Thalia gagged somewhere to the left of Annabeth, Percy just smiled childishly, sticking his tongue out at the punk. It was a mistake, as Thalia just reached her hand out and pulled his tongue harshly, roughly pinching the soft muscle.

Percy looked scandalized as he stared at his cousin, his tongue snapped back in his mouth, but the way his jaw worked, it looked like the pinch had hurt. "Did you really just do that?"

"Hey," Thalia defended, hiding her smirk well. "If it was so sensitive, you should have kept it in your mouth where it was safe."

His mouth dropped open and he shook his head stupidly. "Okay then," he mumbled, almost to himself. Annabeth chuckled, wrapping her right arm around him in what was meant to be a brief hug.

But as she started to pull away, Percy tugged her back. "Ah, ah, ah," he scolded. "I'm not done with you."

"Percy," she spoke, muffled into his chest. "People are going to see."

He groaned quietly, refusing to let her go. "I really don't care if they see."

"Percy," she warned again.

"Annabeth," he warned back. "I don't need to hide from these people. I'd like to see them try to give me shit for being with you. See how easily they end up in the hospital."

She let out a small laugh, feeling fond of him. Most people knew pretty well that it wasn't wise to mess with him. "You are trouble, Percy Jackson."

"But only the best kind." He gave her a wink, grabbing her hand in his as he led her to class. Annabeth kept her head ducked, making an effort to conceal her goofy smile as Percy hummed happily, very obviously swinging their hands back and forth.

The blonde heard all kinds of wolf whistles and cat calls as Percy leaned down and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Like I said, I'd like to see them give me shit for this."

Thalia chuckled behind them. "Well, kids. Now that you've got the whole school's attention, would you mind actually moving your asses? I'd like to get to class on time."

"As if you care," Percy scoffed, although he did start walking again, many people whispering as they walked past them.

Annabeth glanced up, scared of the damage, though feeling a small sense of relief at not having to hide away from her boyfriend. Many people were staring at them and she knew that they were officially today's latest gossip.

Though, she had to admit, there thankfully wasn't as much attention as she had predicted. She put it down to the fact that Percy had been super close to her the past couple months, and it was pretty obvious that something would come of them – even though, just last summer, their two names together in the same sentence had been unheard of. They were on two completely different sides of the social spectrum.

She almost felt relieved. But then she could also notice a few death glares aimed her way. Mostly females. And it hit her again, that Percy had been with a lot of girls. She'd almost forgot about his... ahem, _full_ past. He never acted like one of those guys that had been with a ton of other people, but honestly, it wasn't news that Percy had been around. Everyone knew.

As a few girls gave her rotten looks, she figured that they must have been jealous. She was Percy's newest 'toy.' Even though she hated to think of it like that. They didn't know any better. And it hurt that people saw her as something that was to pass and go to him – but she kept Thalia's advice in mind. It didn't matter what these people thought. She knew how Percy actually felt about her, and it was different than what they thought.

And when Percy's arm moved around her shoulder, pulling her into his body as he nuzzled his nose into her hair, she knew that she was different from the other girls he had been with. No matter what the others thought of her. It wasn't only because she was pregnant, it _was_ more than that. She believed that she truly was special to Percy.

His feelings for her were one thing she could feel confident in.

...δ...

Coming into lunch that same day, Annabeth didn't even look behind their table. She stuck one headphone in her left ear and her right one was left free, as that was the side Percy was sitting. She had been trying to ignore those girls since the first day she had her little meltdown, but now that Percy decided to out their relationship, she really knew she didn't want to hear what they had to say.

"Are you coming over this afternoon?" Percy asked her.

She turned to him, opening the container to her salad and reaching in her bag for her plastic fork. "Why would I want to go over to your house?" She teased him.

Though, it sort of blew up in her face when he left her speechless. He leaned in and kissed her slowly. His warm lips wrapped around hers, gently molding them together. When he pulled back, he was giving her that lopsided smile she had come to adore so much. "For that. And more."

The two hadn't shared a kiss since the night of the party, and in truth, Annabeth thought that when they finally did – on the lips, that is – it would be more special. Though, she couldn't bring herself to be disappointed, because the kiss was so excruciatingly _Percy_. Reckless, unexpected, and sweet beyond anything.

Her cheeks blossomed a light pink color and she turned her face to lose eye contact with him, her mouth dropping open. A small, nervous laugh bubbled out of her throat involuntarily and she could hear his mischievous chuckle in her ear as he whispered, "What do you say?"

"I'll be there," she let out weakly, still reeling from the sudden burst of catastrophic butterflies in her stomach. A wave of giddiness washed over her as she replayed the moment in her mind. He laughed again, wrapping his arm around her waist and pecking her cheek.

"You're cute when you're flustered."

...δ...

"Is there a reason that your face is so close to mine?"

The couple was relaxing in the Jackson's living room, sharing a plate of Sally's chocolate chip cookies. Percy had his face so close to Annabeth's cheek, she could feel his warm breath fanning across her now pink skin. The sweet smell of the cookies was on his breath when it drifted to her nose. It sent tingles down her spine as she tried to concentrate on reading one of her baby books.

"I'm trying to get your attention."

Sighing, she looked up from the useful information she was attempting to absorb. "Well, now you've got it."

"When I asked you to come over, I didn't plan on sitting here and watching you read about..." he leaned over her shoulder, peeking at her book. "Round ligament pain. We could do something together – and preferably more interesting."

"Well, we could read about the 'continued breast growth, yet less tenderness' if you want."

His face screwed up and he shook his head. "That's okay. I was thinking something more along the lines of... I don't know. Do you wanna go for a walk?"

"It is thirty-four degrees out, Percy," she deadpanned, thinking of the crisp December weather outside.

The teenager shrugged his shoulders, standing up. "We'll wear coats." He held his hand out to her.

Gingerly, she let him help her up, even though she was still looking at him like he was crazy. "This is a terrible idea."

"It'll only be terrible _after_ we freeze our asses off. Now come on!"

They made their way outside into the unforgiving weather. Annabeth tugged her coat tighter around her as they walked out of Percy's driveway out to the streets of his neighborhood.

Last night had snowed moderately, there was a couple inches to the layer of the frosty white fluff sprinkling the ground. Percy chose not to bring his skateboard, the ice coating the roads being too difficult to ride on.

His bare, warm hand slipped into her gloved one and he squeezed her fingers. "What's been on your mind lately, Annabeth?" He asked breezily, swinging their entwined hands back and forth.

Shrugging her shoulders lightly, she replied, "I don't know. Everything's been sorta crazy, you know?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "With outing us and everything. Today was a little insane."

"Is it always like that?" she blurted suddenly, and instantly regretting the choice of bringing his past girls into the conversation. "You know, when you come out to everyone about having a new girlfriend."

Percy's lips pursed, one side of his lips pushing out further than the other, adorably lopsided. "What do you mean? When I have a new girlfriend?"

"Yeah," she tried nonchalantly.

They continued past many houses, some having children in the front yards, trying to build snowmen with their siblings. She watched as a little boy unsuspectingly threw a large snowball at what seemed to be his older brother. The older boy squealed loudly and started to chase the younger. With a twist in her heart, she was reminded of Matthew and Bobby. She wondered if they were enjoying last night's gift. "Well," he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand, seemingly uncomfortable. "I don't _date_ all that often. It's usually more... uh, casual."

Realization felt a little like bile rising in her throat. "Oh, lovely," she murmured.

Percy grimaced and spoke again, desperately trying to soothe his last statement. "It's usually not such a big deal though. I mean I have had girlfriends before. I think it was different, because _we're_ so different."

The girl hummed in agreement, but there was something biting at her. She had a question and it peskily wouldn't drop her mind since it had been mentioned. Throwing caution to the wind, she knew that he probably wouldn't get too mad at her. "How many girls have you been with?"

The last thing she'd wanted was to be the awkward and intruding girlfriend, but she was curious and she distinctly remembered a comment that a Stoll had made in Spanish class the other day that had her slightly worried.

His hand flew up to his hair this time, and he ran it through, mussing it up in a way that was only sexy for him. "Do you mean, like, relationship-wise or... sex-wise?"

She winced and looked away. Her eye caught on the edge of the woods that surrounded their little town. Percy lived on the outskirts mostly and was really close to the beautiful pine trees most of the year. They looked stunning, dusted with snow, twinkling in the afternoon sunlight.

"The second one," she said quietly.

Percy's nose wrinkled and he bared his teeth uncomfortably. "A few..."

"Is that a lot?"

His hands rubbed his face. "...Probably."

"Oh."

She didn't know what else to say. She had been the one to bring it up, but his answer gave her a sick feeling in her stomach. Obviously, it wasn't pleasant thinking about Percy with other girls, but she has to deal with it. He couldn't take it back and at least he was being honest with her.

"You probably didn't want to know that..."

"No," she shook her head reassuringly. "I'm glad you told me the truth. Let's just..." she chuckled a little at the awkwardness of the moment. Relieved, Percy joined her. "Let's change the subject."

"Okay," Percy hummed. "What do you want for Christmas?"

"Christmas?" She hadn't thought much about it, but really, it was only a few weeks away. "You don't have to get me anything."

"Oh, come on," he pressed. "Yes, I do. Just tell me what you want."

"We're supposed to be saving our money."

"I've got enough saved, Annabeth. Don't worry about money." Percy always said how he had enough cash saved up, but he'd only been working at the skate shop for a few weeks. Not nearly enough time to build up a hardy pile of money to get them though a whole eighteen years of parenthood.

"How are things at the skate shop?" She asked, changing the subject once again.

He gave her a look that told her he caught what she was up to, but let it go. For now. "Things are fine."

"You don't smell like weed everyday, so I figure you aren't hanging out with Chris too much?"

His head whipped around to hers and he gave her a questioning look. "Chris? How do you know Chris?"

She chuckled at his reaction, her free hand coming up to push a piece of hair out of his face. "I met him when I bought your board. He helped me pick it out. Even gave me a discount because he thought I was pretty."

"Wait, _w__hat_?"

Glancing at him, she gave him a confused look. His eyebrows were scrunched and his mouth was hanging open. "What?" she mumbled feeling a bit self-conscious, because she thought he didn't believe her.

Percy closed his mouth, training his eyes on the landscape ahead. Giving his head a quick shake, he replied, "Nothing. I'm just gonna have a talk with him later. That's all."

Laughing lightly, she swung their hands faster. "Hey, you're cute when you're jealous."

With a dry look, he said back, "Oh, ha-ha."

Annabeth smirked smugly, loving to have that effect on him. "Other guys make you jealous and it's _cuuute_," she teased, poking him where his stomach would have been, had it not been devoured in his coat.

His arm holding her hand moved to snake around her waist and pull her into him. He spun her around in circles, performing their own silly and fun kind of dance in the street. His hands reached above her waist, traveling to her stomach and trying to tickle her. She immediately began laughing, desperately wanting to throw his arms off of her. "Percy!" she pleaded.

"I didn't take you for ticklish, Miss Chase." There was a wicked glint in his eye as his deft fingers roamed over her body, tickling the soft spots.

"Please!" Her laughter was getting louder and a few kids stopped their snowball fights to chuckle and watch the couple act immaturely.

"Please...more? I can do that!" He wiggled his fingers at the bend between her neck and shoulder, meeting the bare skin that wasn't covered by coat and scarf.

"No! You know what I meant, you butthead!"

His own laughter was loud and reckless, and she thought that maybe the world might have felt blessed to hear the musical sound. She surely did.

No matter how cold it was outside, with Percy, life was warm.

* * *

**I decided that I'd start putting sneak peeks up on Tumblr for this story. If I have some of it done, but I know that I won't be updating quite yet, I'll post a sneak peek so I won't feel as guilty. There's a link on my profile. My name on Tumblr is bxexlxlxa.**

**Thanks for reading, guys.**

**Bella**

_**Edited July 6th, 2014**_


	16. The First Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Heroes of Olympus series, or any movie/book/song mentioned. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

"For the love of Christ, please make it stop."

Early Saturday morning, Annabeth awoke to the persistent clatter of her alarm clock and her best friend groaning. Thalia rolled over somewhere next to her, stuffing a pillow over her face.

Sheepishly, Annabeth clumsily reached over to her nightstand, flicking the switch of her old school analog clock, effectively cutting off the heinous noise. She stood up out of bed, turning back only once to glance at Thalia, who was able to fall back into her slumber rather quickly.

Sighing, the blonde shuffled into the bathroom, preparing herself for the coming day. Even at seven o'clock in the morning, Annabeth was alert enough to create a game plan.

It was her first day of work at Anderton's. The bookstore that had hired her was considered one of the oldest buildings in town – and one of Annabeth's favorites. She couldn't forget coming to this place after spilling the beans to Percy and hiding in a bathroom all day. And her date with him had been on this rooftop just a few weeks ago.

A uniform hadn't been assigned to her, but she was told to show up in something comfortable and appropriate. She was thankful for being able to wear her own clothes, because sometimes it seemed that her stomach was swelling by the minute.

Throwing on a soft sweater and a skirt – pants were becoming slightly difficult – she mentally went over how she would attack the day. She would show up to work, soak up as much information as she could, and hope that she wouldn't be totally incompetent at her job. Then when she got out, Percy would pick her up and they would spend the rest of the night together.

The past week hadn't gone as well as she had hoped. On Monday morning, Percy had "announced" their relationship to the school, and the majority of the student body slowly came to accept it and move on.

Though, some didn't. Annabeth could ignore girl's judging stares most of the time, but it wasn't helping that curious onlookers spent at least half-a-second longer scrutinizing her stomach. She knew that before long, she wouldn't be able to pass off the bump as simple weight gain – she was _rounding_.

At one point during her Math class on Thursday, a girl had approached her. Annabeth recognized her as Lou Ellen, who was in a few of her classes. Her green eyes had looked down on her sympathetically as she had talked about how Annabeth should "watch out" for Percy, and that she was "too sweet" to get in his line of fire.

While Annabeth appreciated the effort, she knew what she was doing with Percy. It had been nice to finally have a girl ward her away from Percy for her _own_ good and not _theirs_, but there was no argument. These girls didn't know him like she did – or at least how she'd like to think she did.

After brushing her teeth, she headed downstairs for breakfast. She'd like to say she ate something completely healthy and organic, but that would be a lie. Her conscience hadn't been strong enough for her to resist a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

Finishing her breakfast, she was beginning to feel the nerves in her tummy. Of course she was nervous for her first day of work, but she knew she had to do this for her baby. She decided that she would walk to work despite the cold weather and distance, she wanted to fit in some kind of exercise.

The walk wasn't too heinous, though she was sure that her nose was about to fall off, as it was the only part of her body left uncovered. She looked like a fabric marshmallow by the time she had made it out the door. But finally, after twenty-two minutes – yes, she counted – she found herself stepping into the old bookstore.

A bell chimed on the door as she came in and a woman standing at the counter glanced up at her. A small smile formed on the elderly lady's face as she placed down the book she was reading. Approaching Annabeth, she held out her hand.

"Hi, you must be Annabeth," she greeted warmly. The woman's hair was a smooth gray and it was tucked back in a low ponytail. Wise hazel eyes adorned her pale face.

The girl nodded shyly, shaking the woman's outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Rhonda." The woman had a sweet smile and for some reason, Annabeth had a feeling she would be comfortable around this woman.

The next half an hour or so was spent learning the ways of Anderton's. Not many customers came in while she worked with Rhonda, and the woman had told her that the store was almost desolate most of the time.

The best part about working in the bookstore was obviously the books. Due to the lack of needy customers, Rhonda said that they were allowed to read whatever they liked as they waited. Annabeth had almost hugged the old woman.

Although the empty shop was boring her to no end, she appreciated the extra downtime to skim through the shelves of her favorite place. Sooner or later, she found herself in the fiction aisle, picking and flipping through any random book she could find.

Eventually, a book by the name of _You Against Me_ had all of her attention. The character Mikey was a bad ass, and reminded her all too well of another dark-haired delinquent she had come to know. The book brought out attention to issues with loyalty, family, and love – she found herself enraptured by the story.

As she read on, Annabeth's hand absentmindedly found her tummy and she laid a hand on top of her baby. It was becoming second nature to her at this point. She was constantly comforting herself and her baby with reassuring brushes of circles against her bump. For a moment, she had a desire to read aloud, so her baby could hear her speak to them; she wanted to read them the story. Though, she waved off the idea soon after. She would make herself look foolish if she started reading out loud in the store – but still, the thought hadn't left her mind.

Coming up to a slow area of the book, she took a break to check the time. She was only around a forth of the way through, but it seemed that she had spent a decent amount of time with this book.

At that moment, the door chimed and a woman with her two daughters entered the store. Annabeth returned the book to it's spot, silently memorizing it's location for later. Now was good a time as any to actually start _working_.

Rhonda emerged from her seat behind the counter, quietly urging Annabeth to try and help the customers. The teenager turned and approached the trio, shyly asking if they needed help with anything.

The mother seemed tired. Her eyes were thankful as she let her daughters roam the shop in the childrens' section. The woman was younger – probably early thirties. She wasn't in search of a specific book, just a category. She wanted romance.

Annabeth led her to the part of the store where she remembered Rhonda had shown her the romance books were displayed. As she walked through the aisle with the woman, pointing out specific books that she had read herself and giving her one to five star rating, Rhonda watched on quietly, an impressed smile spreading along her face.

Soon the family had left, after purchasing a few of the books Annabeth had recommended. The woman was happy with the service she received and Annabeth was rewarded with a cookie from Rhonda for doing such great work on the first day.

It had to be only four o'clock in the afternoon by the time Annabeth was ready to leave. A soft yellow glow of daylight shined through the dusty windows of the shop, illuminating the yellowing pages of books and peeling wallpaper. The familiar musky smell was now being coupled with the scent of Rhonda's hot chocolate she was sipping.

"You can head home now, Annabeth. Great work today!" The older woman gave her a praising pat on the shoulder, handing her a schedule with her hours this week. After saying goodbye, Annabeth left the shop.

She stood in front of Anderton's, her hand cupped over her eyes as she searched for a familiar truck. Quickly, she spotted Percy's car off to the right and saw that he was sitting in the front seat, bobbing his head along to a song like a total goober, not even having noticed her appearance.

Chuckling under her breath, she approached the car, tapping twice on the window. She expected him to grin sheepishly, possibly even raise a blush on his cheeks, but when he saw her waiting outside the car, he quickly unlocked the door and sung louder.

He started jerking his arms around in what she thought was probably some kind of dance. His mouth was opened wide, watching her with amusing eyes as he bellowed out the lyrics to Hey You.

There was no way that Annabeth could have held in her laugh. How often did someone get to see Percy Jackson make a fool out of himself for no clear reason? This moment was rare.

As she was reduced to pinking cheeks and laughter so hard that it was silent, Percy quieted, grinning broadly. He spun the knob on his radio, lowering the volume of the song. Annabeth took the passenger seat, still trying to catch her breath. "What in the world was that?"

The green eyed boy shrugged, pulling the car out of his spot against the sidewalk after she buckled herself. "I don't know. Figured I'd make your first day of work just a bit more special. How did it go?"

Her eyebrows shot up at his explanation, though an affectionate smile etched itself onto her face. "It was easy. I didn't do much of anything."

He hummed in approval, sending her a cute little smile. "What did you have to do?"

"Well, there were only a few of customers. I mostly just read the whole time," she explained. Then she went on to tell him about the book she'd started reading. Surprisingly, it seemed like he was actually _trying_ to pay attention – which she knew had to be a task for him, considering his ADHD. He glanced at her from the road every so often, and kept sending small, unintentional smiles her way.

"Sounds like your job is pretty much perfect for you," he responded when she finished. His right hand came off the wheel to rest across the back of her seat. "I'm glad you're liking it."

"Thanks." Looking out the window, she could already see that the sun was starting to set. The sky was layers of pink and purple hues, the clouds a dark blue. Winter was coming, and with that, the days were getting shorter.

A few minutes later, Percy was pulling his truck into the driveway of his home. Sally's car was absent, and she inferred that the mother was probably out with her editor. Now that Sally's book was coming along, she was spending much more time working.

They found themselves in Percy's fireplace-lit living room just a little while later. He was sitting Indian-style on the floor by the T.V. cabinet, sifting through DVDs for them to watch.

"Napoleon Dynamite?"

She shook her head. "I watched it with Thalia last week."

He tossed the DVD in the reject pile, shuffling to the next one.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"Halloween was two months ago."

"The Nightmare Before _Christmas_," he stressed.

Rolling her eyes, she tossed a pillow at him playfully. "It's hardly a festive movie."

The teenager shrugged his shoulders, moving on. "How about Blades of Glory?"

At that, she perked up. "I could do with funny right now."

Percy grinned, wiggling the case in his fingers. "Then we have a winner."

Popping the disk into his PS3, Percy joined her at her spot on the couch. He tapped his fingers on her thigh. "Scoot over, please."

She made room for him to sit next to her, pulling a fleece blanket over both of their legs once he had settled. The fire place cast a warm orange glow around the room, gleaming and casting shadows on Percy's face, making him look irresistible. In the close proximity, she could clearly smell his ocean fragrance that was exclusive to him.

As the movie started, the scene displayed a young boy skating around at his orphanage. A beautiful opera song played in the background, and Annabeth let memories of herself watching this movie for the first time with her father fill her mind. They had sat in the basement of their home, snuggled up and eating popcorn while her dad tried to explain all the things she didn't understand – maybe not _all_ the things. But the good memory still spun through her mind. It didn't sting as bad, knowing that her and her father were on good terms.

Only twenty minutes into the hilarious movie, the blonde felt her boyfriend's nose nuzzle into her neck. "You're not even paying attention," she scolded, albeit halfheartedly.

"I've seen this movie at least a thousand times." His arms came around her waist, snuggling her closer to his body.

She sighed, understanding that movies were probably difficult for someone who hated sitting still. Giving in, she turned in his arms, facing him. His lips easily found hers and she almost felt embarrassed that her breath caught so easily.

Percy's lips moved slowly against hers, enjoying the moment as his fingers ran up her sides to cup her cheeks. She tried not to think of how much she loved this. Before the party in September, there was no way anyone could have convinced her that she'd ever be in this place right now – kissing Percy, her _boyfriend_. Not to mention that he also doubled as the father of their child, but she already spent enough time musing over _that_ particular fact. It would always be hard to believe, sometimes she thought she'd wake up and Percy would still be the guy that she had hopelessly harbored feelings for since junior high, and that she'd be lucky if he would even look her way.

But that couldn't be the case, because in this moment with Percy molding his lips onto hers in a way that had her breath stalling, and she knew her dreams couldn't create this stuff. It was real, vivid, and all too wonderful.

She let her hands drift until they were resting on his chest. They smoothed over his shirt, feeling his warm chest. His heart was thumping hard, she could feel it through the soft material of his henley shirt. His hands moved into her hair and he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

Annabeth could feel the familiar swell inside her chest as he removed one hand from her hair to move a pillow that was stuck behind her. He carelessly threw it across the room, guiding her to sit back gently in the now free space. She chuckled breathlessly at his actions, complying to his will and leaning back, giving them more room.

Soon she found that she was running out of air and pulled back. His head moved and he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. Percy continued peppering kisses along her jawline until he made it to her neck. His lips latched onto the soft skin where her pulse could be found, and he sucked it, being sure to do so hard enough to leave his mark upon her pale complexion.

Sucking in a sharp breath at the feeling, she ran her fingers through his charcoal locks, mussing them even further. His nose brushed against her jaw as he brought his lips back up to hers, picking up where he left off. The kiss had become more heated than how it started out, but she was still comfortable with what they were doing.

Percy moved his hands back to her face, lightly brushing his calloused thumbs over her cheeks. Then he moved his head slightly and she felt him gently nibbling on her bottom lip. The move was unexpected and it took all she had to hold back a gasp. She loved being with Percy in this way more than anything else she could think of. Well, she really couldn't think of anything when Percy was kissing her like _this_.

Finally, he slowed his motions, pulling back only enough to separate their lips. She could feel his heavy breath on her face and his forehead dropped onto hers. His nose nudged her own affectionately, and his hands moved from where they rested on her face down to her waist. He wrapped his arms around her middle and sighed contentedly.

She giggled a little when Percy laid his head between the crook of her neck and shoulder, pushing his face into the soft skin. Her own arms came around him, delicate hands clasping behind his back as she squeezed him closer to her.

They stayed like that for a while. Breath heavy, skin tingly, mind mostly melted. While his face was still buried in her neck, one of his hands had found her curls and he twisted his fingers around them absentmindedly.

That was how Percy's mother found them, fifteen minutes later, the movie still playing quietly in the background. The fire was dying, only the dimming embers left to burn. Sally walked in and gave Annabeth a curious look.

The teenager was pretty sure Percy had fallen asleep on top of her, but luckily most of his weight was shifted to the side so he wasn't crushing her. She wanted to laugh at that, though at the moment, she was more focused on Sally's amused gaze.

"Is this a thing now?" the woman gestured between the couple with a knowing grin. "You and him?"

Annabeth knew an oh-so-attractive pink must have blossomed upon her cheeks as she stuttered out an answer. "Uh, yeah, I guess so."

Sally cooed, clasping her hands together. "This is wonderful! I was hoping you two would get together! You're the nicest girl he's ever dated."

The color in her cheeks spread to her neck and tips of her ears. Although it was a flattering comment, she would rather have kept Percy's past girlfriends out of the conversation. A weird vision of Percy introducing some faceless girl to his mother attacked her mind. For some reason, she experienced a twinge of jealousy – which was ridiculous. She felt confident that she was the only girl on Percy's mind. But the thought of him actually paying attention to another girl in that way left her feeling sick.

"When did it happen?" Sally continued cheerfully like a gossiping teenager, not showing any signs of sensing Annabeth's internal struggle.

"Hmm," she thought. "Two weeks ago?" Her answer sounded more like a question. She couldn't remember the exact day. Her mind was more focused on the memories of the cool wind blowing across her cheeks and Percy's warmth against her back. His words sweet as sugar when he told her the story of how he came to like her.

Unknowingly, she had snuggled Percy deeper into her embrace, nudging her nose into his messy hair that was kind of brushing her her chin. A sleepy sigh escaped his mouth and his arms tightened.

Sally, watching the whole scene, cooed again. "Oh, that is so sweet! I'll leave you two." The mother stepped close to the two teenagers, ruffling Percy's hair fondly, and placing a gentle kiss to the top of Annabeth's head. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

A warmth blossomed in Annabeth's chest as she bid Sally goodnight as well. The woman was possibly the sweetest person that Annabeth had ever met. Soon, Sally was upstairs in her bedroom, leaving the two teenagers to their own devices.

Softly, she stroked a hand through Percy's hair, feelings his warm scalp underneath her fingertips. She kept up the rhythmic motions until the soft lull of the of his breathing had her eyelids drooping as well.

...δ...

Annabeth woke up to a tickle on her nose. Her eyes opened slowly and her vision was clouded in black. For a moment she felt alarmed, but then it became apparent to her that the mass of black eclipsing her sight was indeed her boyfriend's head.

The next thing she became aware of was his loud snoring that sounded kind of like a trucker horn in her head, but for some reason, she smiled at the thought. Percy – even in his slumber – was irresistibly cute.

She brushed his hair out of her face to see that they were still in his living room. Although he was still partially on top of her, they hadn't stayed in the same position. During his sleep, his body had shifted to lay between her legs, which were now tangled with his own. His nose was pushed into her cheek and his hair was just everywhere. She chuckled, nuzzling him.

Looking up, she knew that it was still early morning. Pale gray light filtered through the beige drapes. The T.V. was softly running the same play-menu music of the movie they had been watching last night on a repetitive playback.

The girl tried to think of a way to get out of Percy's embrace without waking him up. She shifted lightly, testing the waters. His snores halted and his arms tightened like vises across her tummy. In his sleep, his thumb rubbed against her bump tenderly, and he murmured something she couldn't make out.

Moving seemed to be out of the question.

She debated just letting him wake up, but in the end decided against it. It was still fairly early on a Sunday morning. He was probably beat judging by his snores that had kicked back in with a new ferocity.

Being that there was nothing else to do but sit under Percy, she chanced a reach over to the coffee table where her phone was. Her fingers curled around the cool metal and she brought it to her face. Clicking the home button once, she checked the time.

7:24 AM.

The teenager wasn't tired enough to go back to sleep, especially with the way her stomach was reacting to the thought of sleeping with Percy. The idea was innocent, yet at the same time, it was intimate. There was a closeness and trust that people had to share if they let all their walls down, and stay with another in such a vulnerable state. She loved having that with Percy.

Though, he probably hadn't put as much thought into it as she had.

After fifteen minutes of absolute nothing, she figured Percy could just go back to sleep if she woke him up. As much as she loved this moment, her arm was going stiff and she really had to pee.

Her game plan was to simply roll out from under him. Unlatching his arms had proved to be a task within itself, but she managed it just fine. Holding his shoulders back, she flipped her body off the couch, landing on her feet in a crouched position. Percy flopped back onto the couch with a louder snore than the last few. She giggled at him, making her way to the bathroom.

When she had finished her business and came back into the living room, she found Percy lying flat on the carpet. The blanket was twisted around his feet. He looked up at her innocently with tired green eyes. "Where did you go?" He asked, sounding so lost and cute that she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her mouth.

"I went to the bathroom," she explained, bending down to help him up. He ripped the blanket from his legs and stood with her.

"Don't do that again," he warned sleepily, pecking her on the cheek before falling back onto the couch with a heavy _thump_. She laughed as she claimed the end of the couch, lifting up his feet to sit down and replacing them on her lap. Reaching for the blanket on the floor, she smoothed it over Percy's body as he made himself comfortable. He sent her his uneven smile in response, blowing her a kiss and muttering, "I'm going back to sleep now. You should too."

His arms suddenly shot out to her, beckoning her embrace. "Cuddle with me."

She gave him a look that said no, but he widened his tired eyes, making him sort of look like a baby seal, and how could she refuse adorable marine mammals? "Please," he begged, jutting his bottom lip out.

Breaking, she slid into his arms with a sigh. "I don't know why everyone thinks you're a bad ass, Percy Jackson. To me, you're more like a snuggly, little kitten."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled dismissively, locking her against his body. "Just shut your eyes and dream about me."

She rolled her eyes at that, but still, one thought flitted into her mind as she lye awake against him despite his pleadings. Falling asleep with Percy might be great, but waking up with him was even better.

* * *

_**You Against Me – by: Jenny Downham**_

_**Hey You – by: Pink Floyd**_

**Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed.**

**Bella**


	17. The Heartbeat

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Approaching her sixteenth week, another doctor's appointment was scheduled. There was definitely a sense giddiness that came along with it, considering that she was now four months pregnant.

It definitely hadn't felt like four months since all of this started. But as the season started nearing Christmas, she could believe that time seemed to be warped. For her, at least.

Annabeth was scheduled to arrive at the doctor's office on the eighteenth. It was only a few days away from the start of Holiday Break, and for that, she was thankful. Lately, her bump had proven to become much more difficult to conceal. She couldn't wear baggy hoodies everyday, especially with the vultures at school who were just about ready to pick her apart for anything she did.

In a pregnancy guide book, she had learned that her baby should be the size of an avocado at this point. The fact had definitely stirred her, as it only seemed like recently that they were just a blueberry in the comfort of her womb.

It was weird, because she was feeling this sense of pride about her baby. As if they were achieving the impossible, growing so quick – She knew perfectly well that it was no miracle. She had to have done the same thing as a fetus, but she still couldn't swallow the feeling that her baby was just some kind of rock star for anything that they did.

It had to be one of those mom things.

Although the word "mom" was still slightly foreign and almost-weird, she didn't think it was all that bad. Being a mother at the age of seventeen surely wasn't something to celebrate most of the time, but Annabeth hadn't been feeling too upset over that lately. It was more of something she had come to terms with – she was going to be a mother. That didn't mean that she was any less of a good person, nor was she a scummy human being. She could live with herself, and that was all that mattered in the end.

After school on Wednesday, Thalia joined her in leaving for Percy's car. He would be driving them all to the appointment. As usual, her boyfriend was excited and looking forward to everything, just as she, herself was.

Percy was leaning against the passenger seat to his truck, even though it was around twenty degrees out and lightly snowing. Annabeth knew that he wouldn't get into the car until she got in. Rolling her eyes at that, she still couldn't hold back the warm feeling it brought – it was annoying that he still had that effect on her, although they had been dating for close to a month. When he noticed the two girls approaching, he sent a small smile their way.

Annabeth pecked his cheek when she got close enough. "Hi," she greeted briefly.

He smiled a little, sliding his arm around her waist in a half-hug. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Thalia gave Percy a nod before slipping into the backseat of his truck. She wasn't always the best at exchanging pleasantries. Shrugging her shoulders, Annabeth replied, "I'm fine. My back kinda hurts, but other than that, I'm just peachy."

Her boyfriend chuckled, his hand that was still hugging her lightly started to rub little swirls into her back. Her eyes fluttered closed and she unconsciously leaned into his hand. Percy laughed again, pressing a kiss onto her forehead before telling her, "We gotta get going, sweetheart."

A blossom of pink coated her cheeks at the nickname, but she listened to him, breaking from his embrace to hop into the passenger seat of the car. After Percy settled himself in his driver's seat, he adjusted the mirror and set off for the other side of town.

They were there in about twenty minutes. The snow wasn't terrible, but lately there had been a thin sheet of ice layered on the road that made driving a little bit frightening. But Percy was a good driver and had gotten them at the office with about fifteen minutes to spare.

The teenagers slipped through the doors, and Annabeth immediately felt a gust of heated air hit her face. She loosened her shoulders at the feeling, soaking up the much needed warmth.

As soon as she had signed in at the front desk – the secretary sending them a friendly smile, like usual – they claimed seats in the back of the waiting room by the small aquarium. Percy slipped his left hand in hers, his right hand resting on his lap as he leaned forwards, watching the colorful little fish swim around in their tank.

Annabeth smiled at him. She was sure that her leg was bobbing up and down in anticipation for the upcoming appointment. The last one had been a lot of fun. They had actually gotten to see their baby, and it was an experience she would never forget.

Thalia hummed softly while they waited. It wasn't long before a nurse announced them to head into the back of the office. Annabeth was bouncing on the balls of her feet, dragging Percy by the hand into their assigned room.

Both of her company laughed at her eagerness, but she wasn't ashamed of herself. Mostly.

As soon as they were in the room, Annabeth situated herself on the bed. Percy took the seat next to her, sticking his tongue out at his cousin. "Sorry, Thals. Too slow."

Thalia rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders mock-pompously. "As if I wanted to sit in that dirty chair anyway."

The two teenagers laughed and Thalia just smiled at the two. The punk turned around, examining the items on the counter, just as she did the last time she was here. "Annabeth, remember this?" She held up the metal speculum that Annabeth still had nightmares about. Thalia aimed the tool like a gun, pretending to shoot at Percy, sound effects and all. "You think their gonna use it again?"

"God, I hope not." Annabeth thought about the last time she had an experience with the thing. If she did have to endure another procedure with the intimidating tool, Percy was going to have to leave the room. The mortification that would ensue from him being present during that would probably be enough for her to stop bringing him to these things.

Percy's eyebrows dipped as he studied the obviously foreign tool. "What's that for?"

Before Annabeth could stop her, Thalia jumped to answer, a mirthful smile breaking onto her pale face. "They shoved it up her v-"

"Thalia, please!" Annabeth broke in, her face matching that of a stop sign.

Her boyfriend blanched, shrinking away from the tool slightly. "Oh." His voice was at least an octave higher, and he gave Annabeth a look like she might have been the bravest person in the world.

Thalia laughed obnoxiously, loving the couple's discomfort. Percy's expression soon turned suspicious and he turned to his girlfriend. "Was Apollo the doctor who used that on you?" His voice had a hard edge to it and Annabeth fought the urge to giggle at his demeanor. He could get jealous so easily.

"Apollo? Who's Apollo?" Thalia interrupted, tossing the metal tool back onto the counter. The action resulted in an unpleasant clatter that had all three teenagers wincing.

"Hot doctor," Annabeth explained mindlessly, waving her hand.

Percy's look was incredulous as he stared at her. "Annabeth!" he scolded.

"Sorry," she immediately responded, cringing at her lack of tact. "Just a doctor. Who did _not_ perform the pap smear, might I add. That was Doctor Lewis," she explained, with a pointed look at Thalia and Percy individually.

Thalia nodded in understanding, and Annabeth could feel Percy's hand soften in her own. He was already breathing slower and she reached her unoccupied hand to stroke his face, mumbling, "I'm not into blonds anyway..."

A little smile broke onto Percy's face. "Eh, blonds aren't _all_ bad," he mumbled back, nudging his nose into her cheek.

Annabeth giggled and she faintly heard Thalia gagging somewhere to the side of them. "You guys are gross."

"_Jealous_," Percy mouthed at her childishly. He stuck out his tongue at her again, only to retract it as soon as she took a step forward. He remembered what had happened the last time. Annabeth was fond of that particular memory.

Just then, Doctor Lewis strolled into the room, a wide smile gracing his upturned face. "Annabeth," he greeted happily, grasping one of her hands in both of his and squeezing lightly.

"And Percy." Doctor Lewis clapped her boyfriend on the back, which looked a little funny, considering how much shorter he was than the teenager.

Percy smiled at the doctor. "How's it going?"

"Good, thanks," Lewis nodded cheerfully, turning to Thalia. "And you! I didn't forget about you at all!"

The punk cackled, stepping up to shake the doctor's hand. "That's what I like to hear, Lewis."

The doctor raised his eyebrows, but didn't lose his cheerful demeanor. Turning back to Annabeth, he said, "Are you ready to start?"

After agreeing, Annabeth was brought out into the hallway to be weighed. She nervously stepped onto the scale once her shoes were off. Percy and Thalia stood to the side, bickering about something before Percy bumped his shoulder into Thalia's. The girl bumped her shoulder back, and the two smiled. Annabeth used to think she was jealous of the both of them together, but now that she had solidified her and Percy's relationship and she trusted his feelings for her, she was glad that they were getting along – as cousins, _and_ as friends.

Doctor Lewis quickly tapped his fingers on the boxy weights at the top of the scale, humming as he moved them into balance. She breathed deeply, hoping that she wasn't getting _too_ big. As of lately, her tummy was almost unmistakably bigger and rounder. She was afraid for what school would be like once she started wearing actual fitting clothes.

"Alright, Annabeth," he told her, helping her off of the platform. They were all led back into the room before he started talking. "You've gained about eight pounds since you first came in, and that's as close to perfect progress as it gets. So keep on eating right and fitting in some mild exercise."

Thalia cleared her throat loudly, shooting Annabeth a pointed look. "See? I told you that you had nothing to worry about."

Annabeth pleaded with her eyes for her best friend to shut up, but the damage was done. Her over-protective boyfriend had already heard. "What?" he asked, directing his question at Thalia.

The punk didn't catch Annabeth's look and went on. "Girls at school have been harassing Annabeth. Now she thinks she's fat, and I was trying to convince her not to worry about it."

"Thalia, _enough_," Annabeth warned icily. She was suddenly feeling angry at her friend for verbally undressing her in front of their companies. She felt exposed and vulnerable – she didn't want Percy to know about that stuff. It was embarrassing enough that her best friend knew about something that had been eating at her for weeks, but her boyfriend now, too..?

The look on Percy's face almost scared Annabeth. His jaw was hard enough to cut diamonds and she could practically hear his teeth grinding. He gave Annabeth a pained look, curtly responding, "Me and you will talk about that later. Right now, let's focus on your doctor's appointment."

Sending her friend a glare, she ignored the stupid stinging in her eye. She was embarrassed. She knew that much. Thalia had no right to go exploit her privacy like that. It almost felt like betrayal, being that she trusted her best friend enough to keep this stuff out of the air where everyone could see it.

Doctor Lewis cleared his throat awkwardly after Annabeth sniffled and roughly wiped an arm under her nose. "I'm going to take your blood pressure now. Okay, Annabeth?"

She didn't want to be treated like she was a ticking time bomb. But now that it was obvious that she felt hurt and exposed, it was like they were walking on glass. She nodded, refusing to look up from her toes. She felt Percy step close to her, grabbing her hand and pulling it up to his mouth in a kiss. She was glad that he wasn't mad at her.

The doctor wrapped a black Velcro band across her upper arm, squeezing a little attached balloon until the thing was practically choking her poor arm. He wrote down something in his computer notebook and turned to her with a smile that told her he was hoping she'd feel better.

Thalia was quiet in the back of the room. Seeing the effect she had on Annabeth, she seemed to regret what she had done. Although she was upset with the girl for what she had did, she didn't want her to be uncomfortable. They were still each other's best friends and had been with each other through the thick and thin. She sent the girl a nervous smile that was dutifully returned.

The doctor now pulled out a familiar box, and Annabeth knew he was going to take her blood. "Now, what were about to do is take some blood for your Triple Screening for birth defects. What it tests for is alpha-fetoprotein or AFP, human chorionic gonadotropin or hcG, and estriol or uE3. That sounds like a lot of big words that don't mean anything, but what they are is substances that help me, as a doctor, determine the chances of your baby developing certain birth defects, by the amount shown in the test."

A sort of lump formed in Annabeth's throat. "What happens if they do have those defects?"

Doctor Lewis pursed his lips. "It's just my determination. It's not exact. If I think that your baby might have some of these problems that were test for, we'll order for an amniocentesis. That's another big word, but it just means that we'll extract fluid from the amniotic sac and test it. It's a risky procedure and we'll only do it if necessary."

It was a lot to take in, but Annabeth had heard about some of this stuff in health class, freshman year. She knew that it was just something she had to get over with, but some part of her still didn't want to do it. There was this feeling like if she ignored it, it would be easier to just relax and not stress out about it. She didn't want to even think about her baby being unhealthy. It scared her and had hesitance flooding through her body.

But it had to be done. No matter how much Annabeth dreaded to hear that something could possibly be wrong with her baby. Steeling her nerves, she felt Percy squeeze her hand. She had her favorite people around her. And she wouldn't be getting the results right now. She could do this.

Annabeth nodded at the doctor. He gave a reassuring smile as he wrapped a little elastic band above her elbow. Then he produced an alcohol wipe from his little kit and washed the inside of her arm where a big blue vein stood out. The skin felt cold and the alcohol had a funny scent to it, but she was alright.

Quickly, Doctor Lewis pricked the needle into the bend of her elbow, straight into the big juicy vein. She ignored the pinch she felt, wrinkling her nose in discomfort. A tube was attached towards the end, and it was soon filled with Annabeth's thick, dark plasma. It looked really gross and at the moment, she was glad that she wasn't squeamish. The sight was a little unsettling.

Percy gave her hand another squeeze, placing a kiss on top of her head. "You did great, sweetheart."

A dopey smile pulled at the corners of her lips and she looked up at him. He gave her a small wink, seemingly having forgotten about the comment Thalia made earlier. But Annabeth could see it in his stance. Percy was tense and trying his best to remain in control of his emotions. He was blindly grasping for indifference that he didn't feel – he did this enough to where she was able to recognize it.

She didn't want something as memorable as their four month appointment to be full of these kind of negative emotions. She lightly tugged on his hand, gaining his attention.

When his swirly green eyes locked onto hers, she jutted her bottom lip out, batting her eyelashes.

Percy smiled at her, but it still looked a little forced. The doctor continued wrapping her little boo-boo in gauze and medical tape while she tried to soften Percy. She circled her hand around his wrist pulling him close to her as the doctor went to store her samples.

Annabeth kissed Percy's nose. "Stop being mopey," she muttered.

"I'm not being mopey," he defended. "_You_ were mopey a few minutes ago. Not me."

"I'm pregnant," she countered. "My mood swings are justified."

The boy cocked an eyebrow. But before he could say anything else, Doctor Lewis cut in. "Annabeth, what we're about to do next is your Doppler scan." He lifted up a little hand-held object that kind of reminded her of the ultrasound stick during her last appointment. "It detects blood flow, and if we're lucky, we'll be able to hear your baby's heart beat."

Annabeth might have squealed. Truthfully, at the last appointment she hadn't wanted to hear her baby's heartbeat. But now that she had already gotten to have seen them, this was an exciting moment. After lying down on the bed and pulling up her shirt just over her belly, Percy settled in next to her again.

Thalia came up on her other side, holding her unoccupied hand. Her best friend gave her a squeeze. Annabeth squeezed back.

"It's gonna be a little cold," Doctor Lewis warned before squeezing a mound of cool ultrasound gel onto her belly. She sucked in a sharp breath of air, but it wasn't completely unpleasant.

The doctor moved the stick around her belly, similarly to how Apollo had given her an ultrasound. He spun around on his spinning chair, reaching for the machine behind him to press a button. When he turned back, he resumed searching for the baby's heartbeat. For a fraction of a second, Annabeth almost believed they wouldn't find it. She felt a bit disappointed. A dull washing sound filled the room.

But then, around the center of her pelvic bones, he stopped, applying slightly more pressure before exclaiming, "Got it!"

The room was now filled with a strange sound. She had read somewhere online about the noise having supposed to remind her of either a horse galloping or a train chugging, but she didn't think it sounded like either. It was more of a whooshing sound. Like a washing machine. Her mind wasn't creative enough.

Somewhere in the background of her internal debate, she heard Thalia gasp. "Oh my God! It's alive!" The punk yelled.

Percy laughed at his cousin, rubbing Annabeth's shoulder as he stared at her slick tummy. "Percy Jr," he crooned to his baby.

Rolling her eyes, she bumped her shoulder at him. "Or Annabeth Jr."

"I told you. I have a hunch." His eyes stayed trained on her bump, smiling proudly as the doctor typed something into his notebook.

Thalia perked up at this. "Annabeth, remember in the bookstore? Back before Percy knew? I told you that I thought it would be a girl. Let's make bets on this."

"Oh," Percy rivaled, sitting up straight, a happy gleam in his eyes. "You want to challenge Daddy? You're on, Punk."

Thalia tilted her head to the side, grinning mischievously. She spit on her hand before thrusting it out her hand in a firm shake with Percy's also spit soaked hand. Annabeth looked at the clasped agreement being made in front of her face in disgust, moving back as far as she could.

"Boy," Percy said with challenging eyebrows raised.

"Girl," Thalia bet, squeezing Percy's hand harshly.

Both kids smiled devilishly, turning to the blonde. "What do you think, Annabeth?" Thalia asked.

She shook her head, still feeling considerably grossed out by their spit-shake. "I have no idea."

"Well, you've got to guess," Percy pressed.

"I think..." she drawled. She didn't have any guesses for what her baby was gender-wise. In truth, she wouldn't mind either one. But she did have hopes for her baby's looks. "I don't know what the sex is, but I think that they'll like Percy."

Her boyfriend grinned, leaning over and kissing her nose. Thalia broke in then. "What are the chances that this baby comes out looking like a carbon copy of this doofus?" The punk elbowed her cousin in the gut, smirking.

Percy rolled his eyes, but was still smiling. She was glad that he was feeling a bit better and had started to ignore his sour mood from before. She wished that he could maybe forget about the whole thing. Percy wasn't always the sharpest, so she had her hopes.

When Doctor Lewis approached them again, he was smiling still. It seemed that was all he ever did. "So your baby's heartbeat sounds good. About 140 bpm, and that's in the healthy range. I don't have any concerns for the fetus at this point."

Annabeth sighed happily, pulling her shirt back down. She was again feeling proud of her baby for being healthy and perfect. "At this point in the pregnancy, the baby's eyes are developing rapidly. Also, they're probably able to hear your voice now."

A previous desire of reading to her baby sprung into her mind. A certain kind of warmth filled her when she thought about her baby possibly sitting in her womb, listening to her read bedtime stories. She wanted that.

Grinning, she nodded at her doctor. He went on to discuss what would be occurring at this point in the pregnancy and what to expect in the coming weeks until her next appointment. Percy listened carefully as well, taking in the details as Doctor Lewis explained them.

Thalia looked a little bored, but she entertained herself, playing with some plastic gloves found in the back of the room. She snapped them loudly onto her hands, gaining the attention of the other three in the room. The girl grinned sheepishly, hiding her hands behind her back.

Soon the three teenagers were leaving, bidding Doctor Lewis a warm goodbye. They had been in the office for a while. The sky was already dark, a light drizzle of snow falling from the dark gray clouds. Outside smelled like burnt firewood and Annabeth breathed in deep, reveling in the warm smell.

The scent gave her memories of Christmas at her house a few years ago, when her mom had tried to start a fire in the hearth, but had forgotten to open the shoot. The whole house had filled with smoke and the place had smelled of firewood for the rest of the season. Her heart stung nostalgically at the thought.

Clambering into the passenger seat of Percy's car, she was soon buckled in tightly and their way home. Driver's were idiots due to the sheet of ice coating the road, but they made it out relatively safely. Percy had only slammed on his brakes and cursed the driver ahead of him, like, twice.

When they arrived at Thalia's house a little while later, Annabeth had planned on getting out. But when she leaned over to give Percy a kiss, he quietly asked her if she would stay over at his house tonight. She nodded hesitantly, having an idea of where the night would be headed and not liking it one bit.

Still she opened her door to give Thalia a hug goodbye. The punk squeezed her shoulders, whispering in her ear, "I'm sorry about today, Momma. I'll keep my mouth shut from now on."

Annabeth chuckled, squeezing her friend back. "It's alright. I'll be fine. Hike up my big girl panties and all that jazz." Annabeth knew that Thalia didn't mean any harm in what she had done, and that was why she could forgive her. Although the action still stung at her, she wasn't angry anymore.

Only a few minutes later, the couple had left Thalia's house and were headed to Percy's.

* * *

**The next chapter will be better. Sorry about this**

**Hope you liked it. Thanks for reading because it makes me sorta happy when you do.**

**Bella**


	18. The Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

**Remember the rating.**

* * *

The car was silent as Percy drove them to his house. The radio was off and the only thing she could hear was the sound of his snow tires against the icy asphalt. Lights went by in a blur through the foggy window. She could barely make out the outlines of streetlights and mailboxes.

The boy's happy attitude from just a few minutes ago had dulled to a soft demeanor. He seemed to be reserving himself. Annabeth knew what his focus was on now, and it was Thalia's comment about her being harassed at school. His fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel and she was suddenly regretting her decision in agreeing to stay over at his house.

Soon they had arrived at the Jackson's, and once again, Sally's car was nowhere to be seen. Annabeth was hoping for the woman to be home, to act as some kind of a mediator in case Percy decided he wanted to eat Annabeth for keeping things from him again.

Quietly, the two made their way into the house. Percy led her up the stairs to his bedroom instead of the living room. With a pang in her chest, she realized they wouldn't be having a happy little movie night like last time.

"Lay down, Annabeth," he commanded gently, motioning her towards his bed. She gingerly kicked off her shoes, watching as Percy took a seat on one side of the bed. He hadn't started yelling at her, and she assumed that was a good sign.

"Does your back still hurt?" He asked softly as she sat down next to him. She looked at him suspiciously before nodding. The soreness in her back was still present, though she only registered it as an annoying throb now. Annabeth was curious as to what he was up to.

Her boyfriend smoothly coaxed her into laying down on her front. Her face was pressed into one of his pillows and she thought, _Here it goes. He's gonna suffocate me._

But then she felt him climb on top of her. His knees fell to either side of her thighs and he was straddling her from behind. She lifted her head curiously, wondering what he was up to. "Percy-" she started before she was cut off.

Percy's hands pressed into her back at the bottom of her spine and she gasped. He slowly moved his hands around her aching planes, causing her to release a soft exhale. As he continued the sweet movements, Annabeth asked, "Percy...What are you doing?"

He hadn't stopped his hands' moves and she was grateful for that. "I'm gonna make you feel good," he explained, getting off of her for a moment. Her head whipped around to find where he had gone, but she just caught the sight of him walking out of the room.

Only a few seconds later, Percy was entering his room again. The lamp on his nightstand was the only light being used. It cast a dim, yellowy glow about the place, and it was slightly calming to her. She couldn't see him all that well, but she was still confused as to what was going on.

Percy clicked a button on a stereo in the corner of his room. The volume was low and the music was relaxing. The lyrics to a Pink Floyd song spilled from the speakers, the notes of the song winding and weaving into a strong rhythm.

Climbing back onto the bed, Percy straddled her again. "Where did you go?" She inquired hesitantly.

"I got something." His hands returned to their miracle working on her back and Annabeth let her head fall into his pillow, the salty, sea breeze smell comforting her. She let a little moan escape her mouth as Percy rubbed deep circles into the small of her back. Feeling him above her like that, she had to admit she wasn't disappointed, but the fact that his crotch was on her butt supported her blush.

Fingering the hem of her T-shirt, Percy asked,"Is this okay?"

Under normal circumstances, Annabeth would have put a considerable amount of thought into letting a boy take her shirt off. But this was Percy. And as much as she was blushing when she nodded, she couldn't find it in herself to deny him. It was nothing he hadn't seen before and she trusted him.

His fingers skimmed the length of her hemline before pushing the material up her back. Her shirt bunched up around her shoulder blades and she felt a cold breeze on her skin. She shivered lightly, but Percy's warm hands soon returned.

The sound of something popping open could be heard from behind her and then Annabeth felt something slick and cool rub onto her back. She turned her head to the side, fruitlessly trying to see over her shoulder and catch what he was doing.

"It's my mom's lotion," he explained, his fingers spreading the cream into her skin.

Annabeth was beginning to wonder when Percy was going to start yelling at her. She was almost scared that he was just buttering her up now, so it would be more effective when he did decide to blow up. But he never ended up doing that – something that came as a pleasant surprise to her.

Percy continued to massage her, soothing her aching spine. At some point, he had unclasped the band of her bra, now treating the entirety of her back. Annabeth was sure that if her head hadn't been stuffed into his pillow, she would have gasped. She knew for a fact that there was extreme color on her face, but she still felt a little giddy. She had missed this kind of interaction with Percy.

But she was sure that he had brought her home so he could tell her off, so why was he being a perfect boyfriend? Why wasn't he yelling at her and getting angry for what she did? He had every right.

"Percy-" she started again, only to be interrupted once more.

"Annabeth, focus on feeling good. Stop stressing."

The blonde took his advice, loosening her tense shoulders and trying to melt into the soft mattress of Percy's bed. "Atta girl," he praised lightly.

Percy's fingers were magic as they traced outlines into her skin; writing words and drawing mindless shapes. She was in sweet heavenly bliss. Until he spoke.

"Are people...bullying you at school?"

Even she felt her body tense under him. He ran his hands up her sides, lightly brushing against her stomach. "Relax," he hushed.

She took a deep breath before answering. Although she was still embarrassed about the whole thing and honestly just wanted Percy to forget about it, she knew that she had to tell him the truth.

"Only a few girls," she tried with nonchalance, her words mumbled out. As if all the hurtful things she had been hearing about herself hadn't affected her at all.

Percy was silent. His ministrations on her back were slow and deep and she might have believed she was in Heaven had the current topic of conversation not felt so much like Hell.

"When you hid in the bathroom," he stated in realization. "Girls...They were making fun of you?"

Her silence was enough of an answer. She kept her head stuck into his fragrant pillow, willing the tears not to flee from her eyes. "Oh Annabeth," he breathed, trailing his fingers down her spine.

He kept quiet only for a few moments before asking another question. "Why do you care what they think about you?"

Annabeth was reminded of a conversation she had with Thalia about this very same topic. Thalia had told her who really mattered in her life, and Annabeth had stuck to that. For the most part, she tried to ignore the hawk-like high school girls, but it just wasn't a one-hundred percent effective tactic. She simply wasn't strong enough.

The girl turned her head to the side, letting half of her face stay on the pillow. She felt a tear slip out of the confines of her exposed eye. "You didn't hear what they said," she whispered to him.

The bed creaked as Percy shifted. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss onto her temple and wiping the tear away with his thumb. "I don't have to know what they said to know that they were wrong."

"How would you know that?"

His answer was breezy. As if it was the most simple thing in the world. "Because there's nothing wrong with you, Annabeth." He leaned back, spreading more lotion onto the planes of her bare back.

Annabeth was quiet because she didn't _know_ what to say to that. There was a strange fluttering in her stomach, and she didn't know if it was butterflies or the baby. She sighed, closing her eyes tight. They were still stinging and brimming with the evidence of her emotion.

"Percy..." She grasped for words that could explain how she felt. "It's not the easiest thing in the world to ignore what they say. I'm not you or Thalia. I'm different from you guys in that I can't just...brush off an insult. I've felt like a gluttonous pig for the past month."

"Jesus Christ," Percy swore quietly. "Annabeth, you're literally so perfect... I'm not even understanding how this is a problem."

She stuffed her face back into the pillow, feeling overexposed. Percy couldn't understand how she felt. Annabeth wasn't tough like him or Thalia. She was sensitive and hormonal. She could pretend all she wanted that the insults meant nothing, and that she only cared about what her friends and family thought of her, but that only worked some of the time.

Percy continued when she didn't respond to him. "Annabeth, I'm telling you right now that you aren't fat. But even if you were, would that be such a bad thing? I'm so sick of people thinking that it's only right for girls to be one shape. Why does someone have to be thin to be pretty? I don't agree with that."

And at that point, Annabeth wasn't in control of her tears. They were leaking out and she was a blubbering mess. Before getting pregnant, Annabeth cried close to never. It was a rare occurrence, but lately, it seemed that was all she was capable of.

Her boyfriend clipped her bra back together before flipping her around. She was now laying on her back, peeking up at him through her teary haze. She tried her best to wipe the wet tracks from her cheeks, but Percy already knew that she was crying. He was still straddling her waist as he leaned down and dusted her face in kisses.

"Even if you were three-hundred pounds and bald," he whispered against her cheek. "I'd still feel the same way about you."

Annabeth let out a short breath, reaching up and grabbing the sides of his face in her hands. She placed a watery kiss on his nose, murmuring a small, "Thanks."

"I'm crazy about you, Annabeth. And it seriously kills me to see you look down at yourself like that." One of his hands moved to her still exposed stomach, fondling the bump where their baby lived. "You are everything I want and more. Your weight has nothing to do with that."

She was short of breath. Everything felt too hot and she was surprised at what kind of an effect Percy could have on her. His words were like songs in her head; the lyrics spinning back and forth until she couldn't even think straight. She moved her head up, tentatively at first, but soon found the confidence to connect her lips with his.

Annabeth let herself kiss him without reservation. Her lips danced against his unabashedly, pouring months worth of restriction and what it caused her into it. Before a few weeks ago, she hadn't kissed him in what seemed like ages. She felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach, and she knew she wanted him like she had back in September.

There should have been a heed to where her thoughts were headed. She knew that much. But she also didn't care, because his tongue was in her mouth and he seemed like he was trying to memorize the flavor. His movements were sure and desperate. Percy was kissing her with an equal want and that was enough for her to throw caution to the wind.

She reached behind and unclasped her bra again.

Annabeth had never been like this before. She'd never been the kind of girl to willingly throw herself into the midst of lust and passion. But she couldn't find anything wrong with it. Her muddled brain made a futile attempt in searching for the drawbacks of what this could lead to. But there were none that she could think of.

Although Percy and her had been dating for only a month, they were more than just boyfriend and girlfriend. They were soon-to-be parents and technically they were bound to be in each others company for the rest of their lives – whether they liked it or not.

So why not? It wasn't like they hadn't done it before, and they were in a strong relationship. Annabeth wanted him. Desperately. She would even go as far as to say she needed him, however dramatic that sounded.

Breaking away from the kiss, she slipped off her loosened shirt and bra. She heard Percy's sharp intake of breath, but hadn't left enough time for him to gawk before pulling him back to her lips. He kissed her harder, with more sense of need.

His breath was hot against her lips as he paused. "Annabeth. Are you sure about this?" He shifted and his hips brushed against hers. The girl could feel the result of his excitement, hard and full along her thigh. She bit her lip to keep a moan from escaping.

"Yes. Percy, please just..." She couldn't finish her plead. Instead, she jutted her hips into his, and it seemed like he got the picture, because he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. He was still hesitant, giving her a look that said she needed to put more thought into what they were doing.

"Annabeth, once it happens, we can't take it back," he ground out. His top teeth were biting down on his lip so hard, she was sure they were about to start bleeding.

"It already happened," she countered, moving her kisses to his clenched jaw. "Come on, Percy. I want this." Her voice was quiet – almost a whisper. And she could see that his restraint was waning considerably.

His fingers twitched, and he couldn't stop himself. They moved slowly up her exposed stomach, swirling and hesitant, ending at her breast. His face turned and he started kissing her neck as his hands fondled her soft mounds.

She gasped, letting herself drown in the feeling of his warmth on her. Annabeth wanted this so badly, and she was finally getting it. He pulled back and Annabeth was alarmed until he did something close to _rip_ his shirt off.

Chancing a look at his eyes, she was surprised at how big his pupils were. His eyes were dark, and the beautiful green color was eclipsed with lust. His forehead was dotted with sweat and his hands were shaking when he lunged at her again. She felt his mouth drift from her own and soon it had found it's way to her chest.

Her breath faltered in her lungs and she felt him wrap his arms around her waist. He continued on her chest, and she could barely focus on anything that wasn't him, because it was so much and she loved it. Her breasts had been feeling tender still, but Percy was careful. His movements were smooth and soft, and it was enough to have her brain melting in her skull.

Annabeth was soon getting flustered and she knew she was blushing terribly, but she was just so distracted and she couldn't find it in herself to care. Her hips squirmed under his, wanting more.

"Annabeth," he breathed, lifting his head. He brought his face up, resting his forehead on hers. His eyes were shut tight and his breathing was ragged. "...Not tonight, sweetheart."

Disappointment felt a little like a balloon deflating in her chest. "Why not?" she almost whined. Her feelings felt like they had been on a roller coaster tonight – she'd been on both opposite sides of her spectrum of emotions. It was weird, but not unfamiliar this far into the pregnancy.

"Trust me," he muttered. "This is just as hard for me as it is for you."

With the excitement dying down, she was able to let her mind resurface from it's lustful haze. "Then why are we even stopping? We both want to..." she trailed off, one of her hands coming up to stroke his cheek. He leaned into the touch and his dark green eyes reappeared.

"Because," he started, looking like he was grasping for the right words. "Because we need to put more thought into this. You know what happened the first time we did it. Before we do anything more together, we need to talk about sex and everything that comes along with it."

Percy had a good point, but she was sure she knew what she wanted. And that was him. He'd never been one to reject her to anything that she desired, and that was why it felt so weird for him to say no to something she _knew_ he wanted as well.

"Since when did you start making mature decisions?" She asked, a little breathlessly. Her mind was still reeling from what he was doing to her only minutes before, but her thoughts were coherent enough to understand where Percy was coming from.

"This relationship," he said. "It means too much to me to let myself ruin it by giving in to temptation again."

He continued, "I'm trying really hard to do what's best for us. Don't think for a second that I don't want to, because I'm sure you know just how much I do. I just... I care more about our relationship and our future, than what I'd _really_ like to do to you right now. And God, I'm starting to sound extremely cheesy, but you needed to know that."

Annabeth bit her lip and nodded, because she _did_ get what Percy was saying – to an extent, at least. She still wanted to jump him, but she knew that he was probably right in his thinking. It was logical, and suddenly, she was really surprised that Percy had been the one to make this choice. Wasn't she supposed to be the responsible one?

"Okay," she whispered, nodding. "You're right. But...we're gonna talk about things. Like, soon."

Her boyfriend chuckled roughly. His body settled to the side of her and he pulled her waist into his. She felt his warm chest, bare against her back, and the hardness below his belt that hadn't slackened yet. It took all she had to ignore the feeling, but with tremendous effort, she was able to.

The room felt hot and she was still a little sweaty, but she was feeling comfortable in Percy's tight embrace. His skin on hers was tingly and warm, his breath was like sun rays hitting her neck. She relaxed into him, and he reached a hand behind, grabbing one of his T-shirts to give to her, because her own shirt was lost somewhere in the folds of sheets and blankets underneath them.

"Thanks," she mumbled, sitting up and quickly dropping the shirt over her torso. The front advertised the band Skid Row. It was black and it looked like the sleeves had been torn off to make it into a muscle tee. She smiled down at herself, thinking that she looked pretty cool. "I'm keeping this one. I actually look like I belong around you."

Percy laughed. "I'm not protesting. You look cute in my clothes."

She felt a pink rise in her cheeks and she elbowed him when returning to his arms.

"What?" Percy protested, his shoulders shaking from the effort of holding back his laughter. "If it makes you feel better, I think you're even better looking without _any_ clothes on."

Annabeth gasped, scandalized. Her cheeks felt like fire, along with her neck and back and any part of her skin that was left exposed. "What is it with you always liking to make me blush?"

"It's adorable," he mumbled, using his fingers to brush against her heated cheeks.

"It's embarrassing," she corrected as she swatted his hands away from her face. "What if I decided to just start flustering you? Huh?"

Her boyfriend laughed again, answering with a challenging, "Try me."

The blonde huffed, shuffling through her brain and trying to think of past scenarios in which she had him red-faced. "We could start talking about those weird ultrasound pictures of your weenie."

The outcome wasn't as expected. Percy just grinned wickedly, his cheeks remaining their natural bronzed color. "Considering that you were just about begging for it five minutes ago, I have trouble believing that you think my 'weenie' is weird."

Backfire.

Because now she was blushing twice as dark as before. "I'm giving up," she muttered, turning in his arms so that she was facing away from him. Her eyes caught on the digital clock on his nightstand. It was already close to ten o'clock at night. She hadn't heard Sally come in, but the woman must have been home by now. Annabeth was suddenly feeling a little relieved that she was wearing a shirt again, in case Sally decided to check up on them.

Percy cooed, trying to coax her into facing him again. "Oh, come on, sweetheart. I was just kidding."

"Shut up, Percy."

His arms came around her shoulders, hugging her tight against him. "Love me, Anniebeth," he whined.

"_Percy_," the girl complained, fighting back fond giggles. _Don't let him win_, she reminded herself. "You're suffocating me. Literally. I cannot breathe. Loosen your death grip."

"Tell me who's the best boyfriend ever, and then I might consider letting you go."

"Hmm." She pretended to think about it. "I dated Luke Castellan last year..."

"Annabeth!" He scolded incredulously, and she just laughed.

She feigned innocence, blinking. "What? You asked!"

"I can't believe you just said that...You are never getting out of this lock now." She felt his nose push against the skin of her neck softly.

"Hey, at least if I asked _him_ to sleep with me, he would have done it in a heartbeat..."

"Annabeth," he warned. "I'm going to bite you if you keep talking."

She was getting a rise out of his jealousy, however terrible that was. There was no way for her to stop herself, because it was just so darn cute. "I mean he asked plenty of times. He definitely _wanted_ to have s- Ow!"

Percy bit the skin of her exposed shoulder, muttering, "I don't play around."

And Annabeth couldn't keep herself from laughing. Her shoulders shook against Percy's still bare chest and she was short of breath. "You are so Goddamn adorable, Percy."

"I don't see what's so funny," he mumbled quietly, loosening his grip enough on her body so she could spin around to face him again.

Once she was settled into him, she reached up and kissed his nose. "Come on, Perce. You know that I'm yours."

"Yeah? Prove it," he grumbled, nudging his nose into hers.

She tangled her hands into his hair, pulling at the inky black strands. "How could you need anymore proof?" Her lips connected with his slowly, much more toned down from before. She brushed along his mouth in a feather light movement that was made of raw feeling. "Percy, you are everything to me. No one compares to you."

Annabeth could feel his smile against her lips. "Now I'm blushing," he admitted quietly, and she swore in that moment, she knew that what she said to him was true. In her eyes, no person could ever hold a candle to Percy Jackson.

* * *

**i think this is better than last chapter. i believe Percy would have good massaging hands**

**thank you for reading**

**Bella**


	19. The Christmas Tree

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

It was only a few days later that Annabeth found herself in the Jackson household again. There were four days left until Christmas, and Percy and Sally needed help preparing their house.

With Sally being so busy in finishing up her novel, the house's overall holiday spirit was extremely lacking. Percy was simply too lazy to even care whether stockings were hung on the mantle of his fireplace, or if a tree was standing tall, topped off with a gold and glittery star.

Annabeth knew that Sally was disappointed about the lack of festivity in her house, but the woman just didn't have the time to decorate. That was why Annabeth made the decision to help out.

Percy's mother had been nothing short of a saint in the passing months of Annabeth's pregnancy, and it was only fair for Annabeth to return the favor, however small it might have been.

The stale air bit at the exposed skin of her face as she climbed out of Thalia's sedan. It was early on a Saturday morning, and like Annabeth had expected, Sally's Prius was nowhere in sight. She let a little smile break onto her face as she ushered Thalia up the steps onto Percy's porch. Knocking on the wooden door, they waited for the teenager to open up.

Grumbling could be heard, as well as a scuffling noise before the door swung open to reveal her boyfriend. Her eyes widened and her cheeks became pink as she took in the sight of him. Thalia gagged.

Percy stood in the door with dark gray sweats hung low around his hips, an inch off the top of his boxers were exposed to the world. His chest was bare. There was a strip of black hair trailing a path from underneath his bellybutton, to where it was hidden under the band of his boxers. Her eyes wandered higher and she took in the sight of his tight skin pulled over firm muscle. And then she was looking at the inside of his left arm where she knew that delicious tattoo was marked. Only part of it was visible.

Thalia cleared her throat.

Annabeth only just realized that she was gawking like some kind of bubble-eyed fish. Percy was smirking, but like the good boyfriend he was learning to be, he kept his mouth shut.

"Why are you so... _exposed_?" Thalia asked with an arch of her perfectly drawn eyebrow.

"Didn't expect company." Percy narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "Why are you so... at my house?"

"I can answer that one," Annabeth cut in, waving her hand cheerily. When Percy glanced at her, smile tugging at his lips, she continued. "We came to surprise Sally!"

A frown immediately crawled onto his lips. "You're here for my mom?" He asked disbelievingly. "She's not even home."

"No, I meant-"

A chilled breeze swept by, blowing Annabeth's hair to the side and causing her to stop talking for a moment and shiver slightly. Thalia then roughly pushed Percy out of the doorway, inviting herself inside and saying, "It's too damn cold out for pleasantries."

Her boyfriend stared at his cousin incredulously before ushering Annabeth inside. "We're here to decorate your house," she finally got out once they were stationed in Percy's painfully _bare_ living room.

"Decorate my house?" He dropped onto the couch, tilting his head to the side, popping knots in his neck. "Why?"

Annabeth frowned. "Because your mom is too nice to ask for help. And she doesn't have enough time to do it herself."

He nodded, but his eyebrows were still drawn. Sitting on the couch next to him, he immediately lifted his arm and let her curl into his side. It felt weird a little weird, because she was still wearing her coat, and he was wearing...nothing, but they made it work, sort of. "What's confusing you?" she asked, running her fingers over his happy trail – which kind of had all of her attention at the moment.

His stomach visibly tightened when her fingers met his lower abdominal muscles, and he gave her a reprimanding look. Though, he made no move to displace her hand.

"Why are _you_ doing this, Annabeth?"

She snuggled her face into the crook of his neck. "Because I want to do something nice for her."

Percy cooed, running one of his hands through her loose curls. "That's pretty sweet of you."

Feeling a blush coming on, she kept her face planted into his skin. She pressed a light kiss onto the sensitive spot under his ear, whispering, "We're gonna do it together. All of us. Like families do."

It was quiet for a moment, just the sounds of Thalia scuffling around in the kitchen and Percy's breathing close to her ear. Then he kissed the top of her head, agreeing. "Like families do."

...δ...

There was a heavy amount of convincing that had to happen for Annabeth and Thalia to get Percy to drive them to the nearest Christmas tree farm. His truck was the perfect size to store a decent tree in the trunk.

Sighing, he agreed, leaving the room to dress himself properly. Thalia and Annabeth piled into his truck as they waited for him. As punk and bad ass as she might have been, Thalia _always_ loved Christmas. Without a doubt, it was one of her most favorite times of the year.

And maybe that had to do with the fact that Jason was visiting.

Her little brother went to a boarding school in San Francisco. He used to live with Thalia and Zeus in the mansion, but after their mother died a few years ago, he struggled being around the family so often. Him and his mother were close and she died at possibly the worst time for them. Jason and Thalia were just kids, barely even teenagers. It had hit them hard.

But it was the worst for Jason. Thalia had always held a certain bitterness toward her mother. They fought often, and after she died, the effect wasn't as destructive for her as it was for her brother.

Jason was coming home for the holidays, though. And Annabeth knew that Thalia was positively sparking with enthusiasm. She loved her little brother more than anything and was ecstatic to see him again.

Stumbling out of the door, Percy turned around and locked it before making his way to the driver's seat. He slumped in his chair, resting his head on the steering wheel for a minute. "Tell me why we're going so early."

Annabeth laughed, ruffling the hair on the back of his head from her spot in the passenger seat. "Early? It's the twenty-first. We are literally so late in the game right now."

"That's not what I meant," he said, plugging his keys into the ignition before backing out of the driveway.

"Wait," Thalia interrupted. "Today's the solstice. Darkest day of the year."

"Yeah. And I wish I was still sleeping in the blessed extra hours of night."

"Shut up, Percy."

He grumbled.

In a little less than fifteen minutes, they pulled into the large parking lot of the Christmas tree farm. Looking out the window, Annabeth's mouth dropped open. She hadn't been to one of these places since she was a kid.

Rows upon rows of dark green trees, dusted in fluffy white snow, dotted the fields surrounding the parking lot. From the flat plane of the pavement, she could see the land stretch miles outward, rolling white hills speckled with Christmas trees until far enough back, she could see the span of the Appalachian mountains beyond. It looked like some kind of barrier, walling off their little town from the rest of the world.

It was beautiful.

Annabeth smiled broadly as she got out of the car. When her feet hit the asphalt below her, the snow crunched beneath her, leaving imprints of her boots. Percy walked around the front of the car, taking her hand in his as they spotted a little farmhouse off to the left side of the lot.

After Thalia was following them – gazing around at the landscape in awe – they headed off to the little house where they could go speak to someone about getting a tree.

The building looked like an old-fashioned barn. It was a paled brown color, a giant wreath embellishing the side of the place just under the roof. The barn doors were wide open, welcoming visitors into the fire-lit lobby.

Entering through the large archway of the farmhouse, Annabeth took in the look of the place. It was open. The ceilings were high, supported by wooden beams and poles. Directly across from the main entrance were large doors leading out to a balcony that overlooked the spread of snowy fields.

Percy tugged her hand to the left side of the spacious room and she saw a small desk set up. There were all kinds of useless knick-knacks and trinkets covering every inch of the wooden table. One spot was cleared enough for a cash register. Behind it stood a man dressed as warmly as Annabeth herself.

"Hi," the man greeted cheerily, waving a thick glove-covered hand as the three teenagers approached.

"Hello." Percy smiled politely. He moved his hand from Annabeth's to lay across her shoulder as his eyes darted around the room, taking in the seemingly endless details. "We're here for a tree."

Thalia rolled her eyes, elbowing her cousin in the gut. "No shit," she muttered under her breath.

Clearing his throat, Percy sent her a glare before turning back to the man. "Could you help us out?"

The man smiled, shuffling out from behind the desk. "I'd love to. Follow me, please."

They left the shop, walking by a massive fireplace. Large logs were stacked and stored to the side of it, and a woman stood in front of the platform, using a long metal stick and poking at the bright amber flames.

Outside, it had started snowing again. The sky was a blurry gray, but she could still make out the outlines of trees and hills in the distance. The man picked up a yard stick at the side of the door as they made their way out. He led them to a pathway that brought them into the fields.

He made small talk while they walked. "Howwer you guys doing this morning?"

"We're tired," Percy complained, stuffing his free hand in his coat's pocket and shaking his hair out of his face.

Thalia scoffed, ignoring his comment. "We're doing great. We love Christmas."

"Really?" the man asked joyously. "We don't see a lot of cheerful teenagers nowadays."

Annabeth had to laugh at that and Thalia joined in. Percy just stared at the man. "These two?" he gestured between the two girls, his eyebrows almost touching his hairline. "No. These ones are most definitely not cheerful."

"Says Mr. Grumpy-Bottom," sing-songed the man. Annabeth busted. Her head fell backward and she was laughing hard. Thalia cackled loudly, even going as far with the dramatics as to clutch a tree to hold herself up.

"That was so rich," Thalia breathed, wiping a nonexistent tear from her eye.

Percy's look was incredulous. He gawked at the worker with barely concealed disbelief, his face screwed up comically. "Did you just call me _Mr. Grumpy-Bottom_?"

He snickered, turning into one of the rows of trees. Percy shook his head slowly, blinking. Annabeth composed herself, dragging her boyfriend into the maze of trees.

She was ready to start squealing. The last time she had gotten a real tree had been at least six years ago. Her family had bought an artificial one after she turned eleven years old. The thought struck something inside of her. She wondered how Bobby and Matthew prepared for Christmas this year. Did they put up Annabeth's ornaments? The Styrofoam ones she had made in elementary school? Or did they ignore those specific ornaments, and leave them in the bottom of the dusty attic box?

Christmas would be weird this year. She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't spent it with her family. But she guessed that was just a part of growing up. It was going to happen sooner or later – whether Annabeth was in college, or was living in Thalia's house, currently refraining from conversation with her mother. It just came a little earlier than usual.

But she still felt a bit disappointed about it. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't miss her old life, even if just a little. She missed being able to talk and laugh with her dad. She missed being annoyed by her younger brothers. And what was the weirdest, she missed her mother's disapproving shakes of her head, and her prompts to always do better. She almost felt bad for herself.

The blonde shook her head to clear her mixed thoughts. She had zoned out while the man had been talking about how to pick the "perfect" tree. Percy nodded along, his arm wrapped around her waist, tugging her into his side. Thalia picked at her black nail polish, blowing dark flakes onto the once purely white snow.

"—Make sure you pick one that will actually fit in your house. That's important, above all."

They were left to wander through the aisles of trees until they found one that suited them. Annabeth had a bounce in her step when she twirled around in the snow, running her hands over the branches of snow-sprinkled trees as she swept past them. "Percy! Come on!" she yelled to her boyfriend, bounding down the lines, looking at all the trees she could manage.

And then he was after chasing her and she was laughing. Thalia was examining some tree off to the side, shaking her head as the two teenagers ran past her. Annabeth squealed, racing off into the path and making a sharp turn to the right.

She heard Percy laughing and panting. His footsteps were heavy and loud and she figured that he'd probably never be a good spy. "You aren't as fast as me, Chase!" He called after her.

"Prove it, Jackson!" She remarked, chancing a look behind her before diving between two thick trees. She stayed silent, catching her breath as she watched from the space in the branches and waited for her boyfriend to run past her.

But then she felt something wrap around her waist from behind and spin her through the air. She screamed loudly, finding Percy's arms around her. "How did you find me?" She yelled while he tossed her over his shoulder.

"You make a terrible tree, Annabeth."

Taking his sweet time, Percy sauntered back over to Thalia, patting Annabeth's legs as she bounced around on top of him. Every time he stepped, his shoulder would bump into her, causing her body to jump in the air. "Be careful of my tummy," she grumbled, idly playing with the hood on his coat.

"Your tummy is perfectly safe," he responded, hoisting her up and securing her position against him. He turned his head, planting a kiss to the side of her hip that was stationed right next to his cheek.

Thalia clicked her tongue at the couple when they approached. "You guys are so gross."

"Do we make you sick, Thalia?" Percy roused, using his hand to pat Annabeth's butt. She squeaked and he laughed. "Because that's exactly what I was hoping for."

The punk rolled her eyes, though the electric blue color sparkled with amusement. "Put her down, you butt-fuck."

"I don't take orders from anybody." He walked around Thalia, flicking the tree she had been looking at, smirking at her. "Well... Except my mom."

"You don't intimidate me, Jackson," Thalia growled playfully, bending down and crunching a ball of snow into her hand.

"Guys?" Annabeth asked nervously. She couldn't see what was going on, but she figured her ass probably had a good view. She squirmed on top of Percy, wanting to be put down before they started WWIII of snowballs.

"Uh-oh, Grace," he taunted mischievously. "I used to play baseball as a kid. And I've got a sick fastball."

Annabeth felt an explosion of cold on the backs of her thighs. "Thalia!" She protested.

"Sorry, Annie! Aiming for your boyfriend!"

"Your cousin!" she corrected.

"Yeah, but-" Thalia was cut off. Annabeth couldn't see why, but she had a feeling she knew what had happened, if the shift in Percy's stance had anything to do with it.

"You're dead, Percy!"

And that, of course.

"Come on, ladies! We can all have a piece of me!" Then he was running again, and Annabeth could see Thalia chasing after them. Her body rocked around harshly as Percy ran as fast as he could with a pregnant girl on his shoulder.

"Wouldn't your arm be aching by now?" Annabeth yelled to him.

"You have no idea!"

They raced into a new lane of trees and Annabeth caught Thalia's murderous look. She gulped.

"I'm gonna rip your skin off and wear it as a fur coat, you hairy beast!"

"...What have you done, Percy?" She asked quietly, fearing her boyfriend's well-being.

She felt him shake his head against her. "I have a lot of regret right now."

"You think?"

Another cold explosion of snow hit her in the head. Some of the icy substance got under her hat and she jerked away from the feel of it. "God dammit, Thalia!"

"You guys are moving! You know I've never been able to aim well!"

Annabeth growled. Percy was panting. "Shit. Fuck. Why'd I start this? Too much fucking running for the morning."

The blonde let her head drop and she simply groaned, waiting for the two most important knuckle-heads in her life to get a hold of themselves.

"The striking ability to be annoying as crap must run in the family."

"Sorry, sweetheart," Percy apologized with a breathless chuckle. He kissed her leg again. "We'll lose her."

As they turned another corner to enter a new lane, Percy busted through a line of trees, just as Annabeth had done before. The wind blew harshly around them, whacking the wooden limbs into their faces, but Percy was still holding back laughter.

Then, a thoughtful look passed over his face as he studied the tree around them. "Oh," he said quietly.

Annabeth looked around, wondering what had caught his attention.

"Annabeth, this tree is, like, perfect." He took hold of one of the branches that was currently attacking her cheek and sprang it forward. It bounced back. "It's like the perfect size. We should get this one."

Studying the tree, she could conclude that it was kind of perfect. The color was deep and the pine scent was rich. It was trimmed slender and the kids would have no problem getting it in through the garage of Percy's house – probably not the front door. It was a whole _tree_ after all. "I like it," she told him with a smile.

Percy picked the tree up by it's trunk. It was bundled up in a burlap sack at the bottom. It must have been pretty light, because he said he didn't need any help when Annabeth offered it. Or maybe he was just trying to be tough. She chuckled at the thought.

"Hope your arm isn't still hurting from kidnapping me," she remarked lightly.

A dry look was sent her way, and he tugged her by the wrist out of their safe cover in the trees. As soon as they were out in the open, Thalia pounced. She tackled Percy to the ground, shoving a large bundle of snow in his face.

Her boyfriend spluttered, trying to push his cousin off of him. "Thals, you little fuck, 'gerroff a me!" His nose and cheeks were pink from the freezing ice pushed into his face, his lips were drawn tight. "I really wanna deck you right now."

"Do it," Thalia riled. "I dare you."

He just grumbled angrily and waited for her to let him up. He wasn't going to hit her. The punk's smirk was triumphant.

"This time, Grace," Percy relented. "You've won this time. But next time, you are going down."

"Doubt it," she waved off, sparing him a hand to help him up. Reluctantly, he let himself be pulled up.

Annabeth waited patiently for the two kids to stop acting like morons. Once they were dusted off and Percy had picked up the tree from where it had fallen, they made their way back to the farmhouse to pay for their Christmas tree.

...δ...

Once they were back at the Jackson household, the three all helped carry the tree from Percy's trunk, through the garage and into the living room. Annabeth mentally planned where they could put the tree to where it was most prominently on display and where it wasn't disrupting any kind of travel path.

The corner of the room was only occupied by a small end table and a lamp. That was where the tree would end up once Thalia moved the small wooden table into safe keeping in the garage.

As Percy went to retrieve a box of ornaments and wall decorations from the attic, Thalia and Annabeth tried to set up the tree. With much effort, they were able to stand it upright without it falling over. Thalia held the tree up while Annabeth slid the rounded green foundation beneath it. The trunk slipped into the slot and the tree was standing tall – a little crooked, but nothing a little head-tilting couldn't fix.

Percy came back downstairs with a giant cardboard box in his arms. Bright red fabric and glittery garland toppled from out of the container, hanging off the sides. Labeled on the side in large, permanent marker handwriting was "CHRISTMAS STUFF".

Somewhere around the house, a chime sounded. Annabeth glanced at the cable box across the room. The green digital numbers read that it was noontime. They still had around four or so hours before it started to get dark out, and when Annabeth figured Sally would be coming home after being out all day.

Together, the three teenagers picked though the large box, exploring the small trinkets and ornaments. Annabeth cooed when she saw a little paper snowflake fitted with a small circular picture of a kindergarten Percy. There was a thin silver ribbon attached to the top and she smiled as she hung it on the front of the tree - in plain sight where she could see it. She deemed it as her favorite.

Thalia only shattered one glass ornament the entire time. Lucky for her, it was only a small crucifix that Percy guaranteed his mom had gotten from her grandmother or something ages ago, and would hardly miss it. (But Annabeth caught his wince as he tossed it in the trash can – Oops.)

After they had finished hanging the ornaments, they stood back and admired their work. Until Thalia cursed loudly. "Aw! For fuck's sake!"

Percy looked at her, alarmed, asking her what the hell her problem was. "We didn't put the lights on! Now, how in the hell are we supposed to do them with all this _fragile_ shit on there?"

His head dropped and he groaned. "Motherfucker. What are we supposed to do now?"

"No lights?" Thalia suggested.

"We need lights." Annabeth stepped forward, studying the tree. She tilted her head to the side, determining the best way to go about the situation. "Well," she started. "We could drape the lights down vertically from the top of the tree. That way, it won't hit as much stuff."

The two cousins shared a knowing look and smiled, shrugging. "Sounds good to me," Thalia said. She patted Annabeth on the back in praise. "Such a smart kid..."

Lights twinkled as Percy got up onto a step stool, careful not to trip over the wires. He did just as Annabeth said, letting the lights fall in strips down the tree. While Percy was up there, Annabeth handed him a golden, glass star. He fit it atop the tree and stepped down.

Backing away once again, they all examined their hard work. It sort of looked like a couple of first-graders had put it together, but Annabeth felt proud. This was her _family_. And they had done all of this together. This tree and this house, it was a product of family interaction and love and laughter and memories that would never leave her for as long as she lived. She was happy.

They still had a few more decorations to put up, so she cut short her small moment of bliss and shuffled through what was left of the box.

There was garland and a few wreaths left strewn at the bottom of the cardboard container. As she lifted up a small green wreath with the typical red bow tied to the top, Percy held his hands out to it. "I'll put it up. Could you go get me a box of nails and a hammer from the garage?"

She nodded, getting up from her spot on the soft carpet. Glancing out the window, she could see the sun beginning to set. It couldn't have been later than four-thirty, but she put that down to the fact that it was the darkest day of the year.

Off of the living room, the kitchen was connected. A heavy door was set off to the side, where it led to the garage. When she entered the spacious room, she walked across the cold concrete floors to where she could see a work bench set up. All kinds of tools were scattered along the metal table.

On the wall, Percy's new skateboard was hung up. She felt a small bit of warmth rush through her as she thought about when she had given him that gift. He had really appreciated it, and just thinking about the way he reacted when he saw it sent butterflies swimming in her stomach.

A box of nails was in clear sight on top of the bench. She grabbed them, scanning the room for a hammer. Off to the right, she could see a small metal box. It looked a little old, and Annabeth thought that there might have been tools stored in there. She popped the top open, searching inside.

The first thing she saw kind of surprised her, she sucked in deep breath, her eyebrows furrowing. Lying on top of the metal drawers on the container was a glass pipe, painted with black and blue swirls. In the bowl, there was still an ashy residue.

Annabeth flipped the box closed and stepped back. The skunky smell permeated her nose and she gagged. Her mind was racing too fast for her thoughts to be coherent, but she got the gist of her emotions.

Percy had been smoking pot, and Annabeth felt a little something close to sick. She wanted a way to convince herself that what she saw wasn't really there, but she would bet her freaking ass that Sally wasn't hiding out here having the time of her life and getting high off of cheap Marijuana.

There was an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach, and Annabeth let herself believe that she felt a little betrayed. What? Was she not enough for him? Did he have to go around getting messed up to help forget about his problems – his problems that started at her?

The longer she stood in there, the more hurt she felt. The more she was able to let her brain spin different theories about why Percy had chosen to go behind her back and use drugs.

She couldn't help but feel sick at the thought. Was he doing it with other people? With Chris? Maybe sitting around, joking and laughing about their sorry lives? Their sorry girlfriends?

Percy didn't even tell her that he had the stuff. He hadn't thought to tell her that he had been doing it when she mentioned it a couple weeks ago. Something felt like it was stinging inside of her chest, but at the same time, there was a heavy feeling in her stomach. Dread. She didn't want to go back in there, and look at him, knowing what he had been doing.

Not only was it a gross habit that led to other kinds of gross habits – Annabeth would know about gateway drugs and what they could lead to – but she could feel her skin prickling at the thought that she hadn't known about it.

That was what really bit at her. Annabeth didn't like being in the dark about things, and maybe it was slightly hypocritical of her to feel bothered at Percy for hiding things when she had been doing it pretty much the whole time they'd been together, but this felt a little different than lying about bullying.

Because boiling down to it, she saw this as Percy lying to her. He kept something from her – and something that bothered her, at that.

She stood there, in the garage, trying to make sense of all of her thoughts. How did she want to go about this? Right now, she didn't even want to see Percy. She didn't want to believe it was true. And she was afraid that she was jumping to conclusions, but in a situation like this, how could she not? What was she supposed to believe?

Biting her lip, she continued her search for the hammer. She would just have to talk to him about it later. With everything she had in her, she just wanted to ignore the fact that she had even seen it, but that wasn't fair to her. She deserved an explanation and a damn good apology if the explanation sucked.

Annabeth wasn't going to let something as stupid as this ruin her relationship. As hard as it was for her to admit, she was falling for the moron, and it wasn't going to do either of them any good to be apart from each other – especially in their current situation. But it definitely wouldn't go unspoken of.

There might be a small fracture in her trust for him, now. They needed to get some things clear before they were able to move past this. Annabeth was hurt and she wouldn't let that go easily.

Any other girl might have blown it off as stupid teenage shenanigans, but Annabeth and Percy were different. They were going to be parents in less than five months, and there was no way in Hell that she was letting her baby have a druggie-daddy.

When she thought about her baby, it only steeled her resolve to confront Percy about this. She wanted to yell, because it felt like a set back. Things were just getting _good_ between them and she could hardly ignore her feelings for him. They were just becoming stronger and stronger. She wished she hadn't had to deal with this.

But right now wasn't the right time anyway. She didn't know if this small discovery would result in a fight, and she didn't want to deal with that with Thalia around and the probability of Sally coming home any minute. She would speak with him at the right time, and until then, she would try her best to forget about the sickness in her stomach.

Quickly glancing around, she spotted the hammer on the corner of the bench, hidden behind a crumpled up tarp. _Great_, she thought to herself. _Now I find it_.

Annabeth snatched the hammer and did her best to refrain from stomping inside. She muttered under her breath, "Stupid hammer. Stupid drugs. Stupid, stupid Percy."

"Hey," Percy greeted happily when she finally made it inside. "You were out there for a while. We were about to come and get you."

She tried not to be too obvious with her feelings, but she was just a girl, God dammit. She was weak. The blonde nodded curtly, shoving the tools into his hands and stepping past him to where Thalia laid on the floor under the tree, staring up through the bottom of it.

"Rawr," Percy mock-growled, jokingly using his hands to make the typical "kitty claws" gesture. He obviously didn't think Annabeth was _actually_ upset with him. She couldn't remember if she'd ever been before.

So she ignored it. "Thals." She shook her friends shoulder. "We should get going. It's getting dark out and your aunt'll be here any second." She tugged on her friend's arm until they were standing up.

"Wait." Percy held up his hand, his expression confused. "Don't you wanna see her reaction? This was you guy's idea."

Thalia nodded, looking at Annabeth curiously.

"I wanna go home," the girl explained flatly. "We'll talk to her on Christmas Eve."

Percy blinked, looking at her like she was some kind of a Sudoku puzzle. "What?"

Annabeth was already putting her clothes on, preparing to leave. Thalia shrugged and started dressing as well. Percy just stood there, seeming very confused. He'd never dealt with a distant Annabeth before, and for a second, Annabeth felt a little guilty, because he didn't have a clue as to what was going on. But she still couldn't bring herself to put a smile on her face. Her stomach hurt and her lungs stung.

Once they were ready, Annabeth started out towards the front door. But Percy caught her arm, letting Thalia walk past her. "Um, bye..?" He looked a little miffed himself, now, and she almost grimaced. But she was the angry one here. "Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. There was an urge to roll her eyes, and that made her feel even worse. It wasn't fair that Percy was still totally clueless about what he did wrong, but Annabeth was still confused and she didn't know what she was doing exactly either. She couldn't help herself.

Stepping up on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss onto his cheek and pulled back quickly. "Bye," she mumbled, tugging out of his grip and following Thalia before he could protest.

They buckled themselves into the car, Annabeth turning up the volume on the radio at the max level. Thalia sent her a questioning look, but brushed it off.

She often ignored Annabeth's weird moods. All of it was expected because her emotions were just so weird lately. But Annabeth didn't think she ever acted out this much in her pregnancy. She was surprised that Thalia could put her behavior down to that, but didn't protest.

Sparing one last look at the porch – because she really couldn't resist – she saw Percy standing there with his brows drawn tight, watching the sedan intently. Just like always, he didn't move to go back inside until the car was out of sight.

* * *

**guys im sorry about this. but it needed to happen. I would feel like some kind of liar if I made their relationship hookups and fluff the whole time. (whispers) i will make it up to you...**

**Bella**


	20. The Rooftop Argument

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

As soon as she got back to Thalia's house, there was a new text on her phone. She wanted to ignore it, being that she was still pretty upset with Percy and was trying her best to refrain from any thought of him. But she couldn't help herself.

_my mom cried. she wanted to thank you guys. in person would have been nice_

It took a lot for her not to respond. She wanted to talk to him, and definitely didn't want to be mad at him at all, but she needed to stand her ground. She was not about to be the type of girl that got all kinds of walked over by her boyfriend – she'd have to remain strong.

The next time she saw him in person was at Christmas Eve. The passing two days had been in it's simplest: Percy texting Annabeth – and when she would actually decide to answer him – Annabeth replying curtly, uninvolved. He didn't mention anything over the texts, but she knew he was getting frustrated.

She wanted to pretend that it was exactly what she hoped for. But it wasn't. It was hard for her to talk to Percy while she was feeling this way – hurt and betrayed. Angry. But she couldn't just stop talking to him either. Her feelings for him were annoying and very persistent in what they wanted – which was all things Percy Jackson.

Jason was scheduled to arrive back in town that very same night, so when Annabeth asked if Thalia was going with her to the Jackson's house, the girl declined, but promised to make it if she still could. Annabeth didn't want to deal with the whole Percy situation alone, but she also knew that if she wanted to be seen as a mature and responsible adult and mother, she'd have to step up to the plate.

At noontime, Thalia drove her to Percy's house. Her best friend knew that Annabeth was mad at Percy, but didn't know why. That was another thing Annabeth could appreciate about Thalia. The girl didn't pry. And as much as Annabeth wanted to let off some steam and just talk about the whole deal with her friend, she didn't want to spread the word until she knew the full story – until she had heard him out, at least.

Sitting in the driveway in front of his house was a little intimidating. It was Christmas Eve, she didn't want to be in a bitter and stale mood toward the guy that made her giddy and bubbly more times than not. She hardened her demeanor before kissing Thalia's cheek in goodbye, getting ready to leave the safety of the girl's old and crusty sedan.

When she finally built the courage to approach the house, she waved to Thalia before knocking on the door. It was only a few seconds later that Sally opened up, and Annabeth could hear Thalia's car backing out of the driveway. A honk sounded once before she was gone.

The mother pulled Annabeth into a tight hug, rocking her side to side as she squealed. "Annabeth! I've been waiting to see you, my dear!"

"Sally," she chuckled, squeezing the cheerful woman in front of her. "Merry Christmas."

Percy's mother smiled brightly, tugging Annabeth inside of the house. She twirled around, spreading her arms wide and gesturing to the entirety of her home. "It is a merry Christmas! Look what you've done to my house! Annabeth, I can't thank you enough!"

The teenager smiled, feeling a little warm on the inside that Sally had truly appreciated her efforts in making the woman's holiday a little better. "It was nothing," she waved off.

"It most definitely _was_ something," Sally protested. "It meant the world to me, Annabeth. The best Christmas present I've gotten in years."

And Annabeth wasn't sure why there were tears in her eyes, but she figured it was best to just ignore them and give a watery laugh. Sally cooed, ushering her toward the stairs. "I know you just want to go see Percy. Go on, he's in his room."

The heavy feeling in her stomach felt like shot balls or rocks. She nodded in a way that she hoped looked sheepishly anxious to see her boyfriend. It probably worked, because Sally left her to it.

Scaling the stairs slowly, Annabeth knew she was stalling. But she also didn't care. She wasn't exactly gung-ho about the whole situation. She stepped in front of the door she knew to be Percy's bedroom and took a deep breath before knocking quietly.

"Come in," was his called command. She grimaced, pushing his door open. Percy was sitting on his bed flipping his phone idly in his hand. He glanced up at her as she entered the room, taking a seat next to him on the bed. "Hey," he greeted hesitantly, watching her like she might bite him if he said the wrong thing.

"Hi, Percy." She felt him lean in slowly and plant a kiss on the side of her head. Turning to him, she tried her best to keep up her wall. Desperately, she wanted to kiss those soft pink lips of his, but she knew what she had to do. That didn't make the resistance any easier, though.

He leaned back, studying her. "How do you feel?"

Nodding politely, she said, "Fine." It sounded distant to even her own ears.

And then Percy sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "I can't do this, Annabeth." She looked at him questioningly, and he tugged harshly at his hair. "Can I just know what I did wrong so you can yell at me and then we can be better? Because honestly, this sucks. I feel guilty and I don't even know what I did."

"Well," she started, not knowing how to go about the situation. "First of all, would you like to confess to anything?" She didn't want to treat him like some kind of first grader who ate too many cookies out of the jar, but she didn't have a clue as to what she was doing. She'd never hosted an intervention and she had very little experience in confronting people about their problems.

Percy gave her a look that made it seem like he was thinking the same thing as her. "Confess? Not that I know of... Why? What's this about?"

She squared her shoulders, sitting back far enough to where she could look at him head on and portray a look of confidence that she really wasn't feeling. "I-"

"Percy! Annabeth!" Sally called. "Come downstairs, please!"

Heaving a sigh, he got off of the bed and held out a hand to help her up. She looked at it before getting herself up and walking ahead of him out of his room. Under his breath, she heard him mutter, "Seriously?"

Once they were downstairs, Percy asked his mother, "What is so important, ma?" He probably didn't mean to sound irritated and impatient, but that was how it came out.

If Sally noticed Percy's sour attitude, she didn't pay any mind to it – it was the holiday after all. Nobody wanted to deal with a pissy teenager. "Just thought that we'd spend all this time together. Not cooped up in our rooms, doing certain things that have caused quite a ruckus in our lives already."

The mother winked and Annabeth's face lit up in a blush as she realized what she was insinuating. "God, Sally, we weren't-"

"Mom," Percy groaned, banging his head on the wall. "Please."

Sally chuckled, wagging her finger at them. "I get it. You're teenagers It's too late for me to stop you, but let me just warn you-"

"_Mom_," Percy groaned again, this time with more force. The crests of his cheeks tinged pink and he gave her a pleading look. "Please."

"Alright, alright," she relented, much to Annabeth's relief. "Come on, let's go watch Christmas movies!"

And that was sort of how they spent the next couple of hours. Definitely not what Annabeth had expected to come of this visit, but a part of her wasn't disappointed. She sat on the couch with Percy, and his mother took the recliner. The fire crackled, filling the air with a familiar warm and ashy smell as the movie screen reflected off of their glasses of tangy apple cider.

Somehow, Percy knew her boundaries. He knew that she was still upset with him – for whatever reason – and he kept his distance. Although they sat next to each other on the couch, he didn't try to curl her under his arm. He didn't pull her into his chest. And some of Annabeth was a little let down that he didn't try, but she had to remind herself that she was the angry one here, and Percy was simply trying not to cross any lines.

When the third movie ended and Annabeth was sure she was about to faint from the endless Christmas spirit pulsing through her, Percy cleared his throat and swept a piece of hair out from her face. She turned to him while he spoke to his mother. "Ma, me and Annabeth have something we need to take care of. We'll be back later."

Sally frowned, but nodded, standing up and clearing away their empty glasses. Once she was in the kitchen and began preparing for supper, Percy stood from his spot on the couch and gestured for Annabeth to follow him.

The heavy feeling was back in the pit of her stomach as Percy led her to the foyer. Her eyebrows scrunched when he slipped his sock-clad feet into a pair of boots by the front door. "We're going for a ride," he explained quietly at her confused look.

Her coat felt warm on her shoulders as she followed Percy outside into the cold winter air. The sky was white. Little indentations of soft gray could be made out to form clouds. She slid into Percy's truck, fastening the belt over her bulging belly and watching as her boyfriend took his seat.

Annabeth didn't know what he was planning or where they were going, but she was a little relieved to get out of the house. Sally's home just felt too happy and innocent to taint the atmosphere with an argument.

Soon they were on the road and heading into town. Shops and cafes passed by the window in a soft blur. Not many pedestrians could be seen walking around on the sidewalks like they usually did in the warmer seasons, but she could make out a few people clearing pathways from the snow into their stores.

When Percy parked the car, Annabeth felt a little uneasy. They were at Anderton's. The same brick-built bookshop that she worked for. She gave him a confused look that he ignored, and grabbed her hand, tugging her into the store.

Annabeth's hand stiffened in his and she pulled away. Although she knew that it was a bit immature, she couldn't help it. Part of her was so upset about the newfound information of his drug use that she didn't even want to look at him, but then the other side of her just wanted everything to be over with and drag him into his bedroom to cuddle.

And that couldn't happen until she confronted him about it. She and her baby deserved as much.

Percy rolled his eyes and sighed. The little bell above the door chimed as they walked over the threshold of the entrance. A familiar smell of old paper and dust filled her nose and she relaxed slightly. This place was one of her favorites.

Rhonda sat behind the counter, flipping through a book. When she glanced up, she waved at the two of them, offering a small smile. Annabeth was curious as to why Rhonda didn't comment at Percy dragging her to the back of the shop where there was a small supply closet, but the woman did nothing but turn back to her withering book.

"She used to tutor me in middle school," Percy mumbled, answering Annabeth's unspoken question. He nodded his head at what Annabeth thought was a supply closet, but proved to be a staircase upon entering.

Annabeth knew where they were going, but she had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the warm memories would probably be overwhelming and great, but she was trying to be mad at him and that was going to be hard if she was thinking about the way his hands had wrapped around her and fondled her growing stomach, while closing the deal on their relationship.

They scaled the creaky wooden stairs and came to the top where a heavy, rusted door was stationed. Percy used his shoulder to push it open and walked to the side to hold it while she stepped under his arm. "Thanks," she said quietly, trying to forget the fact that she just wanted to kiss the gentleman-idiot.

A crumpled up tarp laid in a heap to the left, rustling in the much fiercer winds on the roof. The bench they had sat at previously hadn't moved from it's spot, and she made her way over to it, waiting for Percy to follow.

He walked to the edge of the roof, looking off the side. His eyes darted around, catching on things like cars, signs, and people. When he turned back to her, he spread his arms out tiredly, like he was about as ready for all of this to be over as she was. "What did I do?"

The blonde inhaled in attempt to soothe her anxiety. Shaking her head, her mouth moved, but she wasn't finding words. She didn't know how to approach the situation. Was she supposed to be straight forward and angry, or fair and impassive until he got the chance to explain himself? After what was probably too long for an anxious Percy, she spit it out. "Have you been smoking pot?"

Percy's expression instantly morphed into one of confusion. His head jerked backward and his eyebrows shoved down. "What?" He asked curtly, as if that was the last thing he'd figured she'd say.

"You heard me," she ground out frustratedly. The girl hoped that he wouldn't lie to her and pretend he had no idea what she was talking about. She didn't think she could handle something like that. "Are you?"

"...Am I _smoking_?" He enunciated each word slowly, like there must have been some kind of mistake with Annabeth asking him this. She was starting to get angry at his playing dumb. It wasn't like she'd ask him if she didn't have any reason to believe that he was doing that kind of stuff. "Of course I'm not. Why would you think that?"

Annabeth gritted her teeth. "Percy, don't lie to me."

Both of his eyebrows raised high. "I'm not lying," he defended. "Why are you asking? You know I wouldn't do that to you."

Angry tears clouded her eyes. She felt something close to betrayal burn inside of her. "Really, Percy?" Her hands were shaking and she watched him move closer. He raised his hands helplessly.

"Annabeth, I don't understand where this is coming from." At her hurt expression, he made another reach for her hand, but she whipped it away twice as fast as last time. She stood up, trying not to seem as small and vulnerable as she felt.

"I saw it, Percy!" She cried, feeling like Percy figured she was dumb enough to buy his ignorant act. "In the garage! You've got a tool box with a fucking pipe in it! I'm not an idiot, you're lying to me!"

Percy had the audacity to shake his head like he still didn't understand what she was talking about. But she saw as the realization made itself clear on his face. His eyes closed and he groaned quietly, his head falling into his hands as they started to rub his face harshly. "God..." he muttered.

The blonde ignored the tears she could feel squeezing out of the confines of her eyes. There was no way he could keep up his clueless act any longer. He must have known that Annabeth had him caught.

"Annabeth," he pleaded, looking helpless. "You've got to believe me."

"Believe what, Percy?" She bit back, crossing her arms over her chest. Her vision was becoming annoying blurry with the effort of trying to hold back the stupid tears. Her arm shot up, quickly wiping them away before Percy could see the escaped ones. But if his wince had anything to say about it, she would think he'd noticed. "That you've been lying to me? Going behind my back and getting messed up with your friends?"

He vigorously shook his head, taking a step closer to her. She took another step back. "Annabeth, don't do this-"

She cut him off as a thought sprung into her mind. "You're always saying not to worry about money, Percy." A small sob broke from her throat as she went on. "Are you selling that shit? Are you a fucking drug dealer?"

"Annabeth, no! Come on!" He answered forcefully. "Let me explain myself. I get that you're angry, but seriously, you need to listen for a second."

Huffing, she planted herself on the bench, keeping her eye contact on a sign across the street and anywhere but her boyfriend's eyes. Her face was wet and in the freezing rooftop wind, her pink cheeks stung. "That stuff is so old that I didn't even remember I had it. I haven't touched the shit since _months_ before I even knew you were pregnant. I swear."

She hated it, but she didn't believe him. A sick feeling rose in her gut, thinking he was lying to her again. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

His eyes squeezed shut and he clenched his fists. "You don't know. I don't have a way to prove it to you other than maybe a drug test. Other than that, you're just gonna have to trust that your _boyfriend_ is telling you the truth." He said the word like she was the bad guy for not believing him. Her hands were shaking in anger.

"Well, maybe if you'd told me about it before, then I wouldn't have so much trouble believing you... You kept that from me," she said, trying her best to take control of her emotions. She didn't want to keep crying, especially when she was angry.

"Like you're any better!" He protested. "Not only do you keep things from me constantly, but also, I had to learn about you doing ecstasy from Steve! It's not like you opened up to me about that! I honest to God didn't even remember the weed was in my house, yet you're acting like I was out and fucking selling it to the masses!...Come on, Annabeth, you know me better than that." The last sentence had dulled in volume considerably, and he was looking at her with such a pained face that her heart clenched. She suddenly started to feel some small dollop of guilt form inside her, because Percy was making sense, and maybe she had made a mistake here. But surely that couldn't have been the case, right?

Percy was quiet when he started talking again. "If you want me to take a drug test, I absolutely will. But I'm telling you right now that I'll be hurt you can't believe me."

Annabeth felt a hot new wash of tears burn in her eyes, but she ignored them. She let herself believe that there was a possibility that maybe he was telling the truth and she was a terrible girlfriend for not trusting him. Confusion felt a little like trying to loop course rope through the head of a microscopic needle. "I don't know, Percy."

He sighed, glancing over the edge of the building. His jaw worked and he spoke again. "I just want you to know that I wouldn't do that. To you or our baby. I'm trying to be a good father. I really am."

There was something about the way he said it that had Annabeth crying again. Her heart felt like it was getting an angry massage – nothing like the one Percy had given her – feeling tight and harsh. It was sounding like Percy had trouble convincing even himself that he could make a good father, and Annabeth had just shoved it in his face that he wasn't competent enough. Something in her was pushing at herself to reassure him, because in fact, she had been doubting his ability to father a child while doubling as a drug dealer – which was starting to sound like more of a ridiculous assumption even in her own mind.

"Percy, I didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter," he interrupted, shaking his head tiredly. "Let's just...not fight. I don't want to – I can't." He walked back to her slowly, as if he didn't know if she'd start yelling at him again. His hair blew around in the windy air, mussing it even further.

She knew he wouldn't try to hold her hand again after the numerous failed attempts today, and she winced at that, taking a chance and grabbing for his hand. Once it was in hers, she tugged him to sit down next to her, using her other fingers to wipe the wetness under her eyes.

Percy watched her with sad, green eyes. The emotions swirling in them were hard for her to stomach, because Percy looked hurt above all. His fingers tangled with hers, and he glanced down at their held hands. "Annabeth, I don't want this to hurt us. I lo-...I just- I'm crazy about you, and this whole thing freaking blows."

"You're right," she agreed with a sniffle. His free hand reached up to dry a tear on her cheek and he leaned in to press a kiss to where it had been. When he started to pull away, Annabeth couldn't help herself. She couldn't stay tough and she clamped her arms around him tight enough to where he probably knew just how much it was killing her to be angry at him as well.

Percy returned the hug, gently wrapping his arms around her shoulders. His sigh blew warm air into her hair and she squeezed him a little harder. "Let's go home, sweetheart," he whispered.

Nodding against him, she moved to pull away, but was only released after Percy pressed another kiss into her hair. They stood up and Annabeth realized just how much Percy cared about her. He was willing to take a drug test which probably proved enough as to what the answer would reveal, and he only barely yelled at her when she accused him – when he had every right to a full on freak out.

She wondered why she couldn't have had faith in him from the start. It would've made things a lot easier. Part of her thought that her brain was looking for something to be wrong with him. Percy was almost too good to be true, and she couldn't let herself believe that she had him so easily. That he liked her as much as she liked him – maybe even starting to love. And what kind of a girlfriend showed love to her boyfriend by judging him so harshly. Annabeth felt the regret start to settle into her chest.

But it wasn't like she could have known that what she had found was a thing of the past. How could she know the difference? Though, she knew she should have just heard him out before acting so coldly. She never wanted this fight to amount to anything more than just a simple confrontation and halt of any further drug use.

As Percy held her hand tightly, he led them toward the door of the staircase. But she stopped him. He turned to her questioningly, and she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him square on the lips. A feeling that she had started to miss in the past three days of conflict. "I'm sorry, Percy," she muttered against him.

His smile could be felt on her mouth and she almost let out a relieved laugh. "It's alright. I'm just glad were okay. Right?"

"Right," she agreed, pecking him again. "I don't want you to take a test. I believe you, babe."

Percy grinned lopsidedly, the tension softening at her term of endearment. He lifted her off the ground in an over-exaggerated hug and spinning her around rapdily, trying to get her to laugh. "Oh God. That's good to hear."

She giggled as he let her down, rubbing the palms of his hands on her pinked cheeks. "You're getting cold. I'm getting you home."

As they made their way down the stairs, Rhonda waved to them again while they were leaving the store. Annabeth smiled softly, feeling the soothe of relief from when she had come in.

They climbed into Percy's truck. She saw him grinning as he turned the key in the ignition, starting the truck. "I feel so much better now," he breathed out, relaxed, blinking at the fogged up windshield.

Annabeth chuckled, reaching over to connect their hands again. Although she had messed up pretty bad, she was glad that he wasn't angry at her. She was glad that everything had turned out right and that the whole time, she had absolutely nothing to worry about. Percy was trustworthy, and she should have seen that.

Percy had a lot of reasons to be upset with her, but he simply didn't let himself get angry. He said that he was just glad that they could get back to normal and she would stop ignoring his texts.

* * *

**this came out poorly. tell me if it seemed a little rushed. did Annabeth "forgive" him too easily? should the problem have lasted a little bit longer? i suck at conflict.**

**thanks for reading,**

**Bella**


	21. The Sex Talk

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

When the couple arrived home, Annabeth could say that she and Percy had successfully melted most of the tension in the result of terrible and loud singing. Percy was never one to leave a situation awkward and Annabeth was really starting to appreciate that habit of his. (And the fact that Percy was screeching the lyrics to Slow Ride, and her ears might have been bleeding, but she was cracking up.)

There was a crusty sedan already parked in the driveway and Annabeth almost squealed. Thalia had ended up making it here and was probably already in the house with Sally. Only her best friend could have made her feel even better. Percy parked his truck in the cold garage, and the two were about to make it into the house when he stopped.

Annabeth looked as he motioned for her to wait a second, and clicked open the tool box, picking up the colorful glass pipe along with a small bag of leafy, brownish green substance. The smell hit her almost instantly and she wanted to gag. There was a tall metal trash can in the corner of the concrete room, ready to be set out for garbage pick up. Flipping the lid off, Percy tossed the plastic bag in the can and dumped the residue from the bowl into it as well.

Then he showed her the now empty blue pipe, wiggling it in his fingers to catch her attention. She watched as he brought it over to the work bench, picking up a metal sledge hammer. Without a moment of hesitation, he brought his arm up harshly before smashing it down on the thing, shattering it into hundreds of bright blue bits. The cheap glass exploded over the bench, looking like chunks of ice.

There might have been tears in her eyes, but she didn't know why. It just felt really special at what lengths he was willing to go, just to show her how involved he truly was. Percy brought the metal trash can over to the bench and used his sleeved arm to shove the scattered glass off and into the bin. When he had cleaned up the mess of broken pipe, he walked over to her slowly, taking both of her hands in his. "That stuff isn't part of my life anymore. I am completely invested in you and our family, and it's not about to become a problem. I promise."

She wiped her tears, feeling even more guilty for not believing him sooner. He leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss on her lips. "No more crying," he mumbled against her. The girl chuckled, pulling back and gently stroking a hand across his cheek.

Annabeth was so ridiculously lucky for a boy like Percy. Any other guy would have flipped their lid had she accused them of the things she did to Percy. But it wasn't like him to get angry with her. In the end, Percy had been more hurt than mad.

Her boyfriend had always been self-critical and hard on himself. It wasn't like him to put all the blame on her – even if she deserved it. In this situation, it had her feeling even more guilty. But that was just the way he was. She knew he cared too much about her to make more of a deal out of everything than there already was. He wanted to just forget the whole thing and Annabeth could relate, however much it was killing her to be getting off so easy.

But she had to just appreciate that her boyfriend cared for them as a couple so much that he couldn't stand to be outwardly angry with her. He gave up what Annabeth should have had coming to her because he didn't want to fight. It was _Percy_. That was just who he was.

He slipped his arm around her waist, guiding her to the door. "Are we ready to just pretend that the past three days haven't even happened?"

A small whimper escaped her mouth and she pressed her face into his jacket. "Are you sure? You can yell at me if you want. I feel so bad." _And stupid_, she added in her head.

His head shook and he hushed her. "I get it... Although it hasn't been ideal these past few days, I understand where you were coming from. I'm glad that you're ready to whip my sorry ass into shape if I start fucking around." He was quiet for a second, pushing the door open and guiding them in. "But if you do it again, I will get angry. So don't push it there, pipsqueak." He pinched the tip of her nose lightly, and she had to bite her lip to repress a fond giggle.

Stepping inside, the scent of cinnamon and firewood hit her, having her sigh in content. The sun had started setting about an hour ago and now the sky was a sea of navy and violet hues. Voices sounded through the house, coming from the living room, and she quickly tugged Percy by his hand toward the noise. He followed along, shaking his head fondly.

One voice was slightly out of place. She definitely heard Sally and Thalia, but there was a male voice that she couldn't make out. It was almost familiar, but as if it had been warped or something. Percy must have heard the guy too, because his eyebrows scrunched.

Once they had made it into the living room, Annabeth squealed at what she saw. When the sound left her mouth, three smiling faces turned to her and she rushed a tall blond-haired boy. He stood up, receiving her hug as she jumped him. "Jason!" she yelled.

His laugh was loud in her ear, and when he spoke, she heard how his voice had lowered since the last time she'd talked to him. "Whoa, Annabeth. When did you get so heavy?" He joked. She knew that Thalia had already warned him about her pregnancy. It would have been a bit of a surprise if he came and saw her so _round_.

"Shut up," she muttered, blushing as she hopped off of him. Percy approached from behind, eyebrows pulled tight, scowling at his..._cousin_. "Percy!" She shouted in realization, blinking rapidly. "Oh my God!"

Thalia and Sally were laughing at her reaction, but Percy just looked scandalized. He didn't quite realize that Jason had been something like a brother to Annabeth since they were little, and she suddenly felt a little rude about her large greeting. "Who's this?" He nodded at the blond, his eyes not so subtly narrowing in distaste.

"This is Jason-" she started to explain before Percy cut her off.

"I got that much."

"_And_," she stressed, making him listen. "He's Thalia's brother. Your cousin."

Percy's eyes widened almost comically. "Cousin?" He asked incredulously, replacing his glare at Jason with a shocked gawk.

"Cousin," Thalia repeated with a smirk. "That's right, Perce. There're _two_ of us."

His mouth dropped open and he blinked. "Okay," Percy accepted, sticking his hand out for Jason to shake. "Okay," he repeated.

Jason laughed as he greeted Percy with a firm handshake. "Okay."

Green eyes narrowed once again, but Jason just chuckled, patting his back. "I have to say, it's nice meeting my cousin."

"Likewise," Percy breathed, obviously still in shock and luckily understanding Annabeth's completely familial reaction to seeing the boy. She smiled and leaned a head on his shoulder.

Sally stood up, saying, "I'll get us some drinks."

Jason took back his seat on the couch next to Thalia with a large smile on his face. "So," he started, barely concealing his peek at Annabeth's bulging tummy. "When did you start smuggling that football under your shirt, Momma?"

As Annabeth expected, the protective side of her boyfriend started to kick in. His arm wrapped around her waist in a way that said, _I don't care__that__ you__'__re my cousin – __if __she cries, you__'re dead__._ She rolled her eyes, but stepped up to kiss his cheek. It seemed that with the distraction of Jason, they were going to be able to focus better on forgetting what had happened earlier today.

"She's about seventeen weeks," Thalia replied with an eye roll at Percy as well.

Jason nodded cheerfully. "You're definitely bigger than the last time I saw you. Still, I'm not gonna lie. Your bump is incredibly adorable."

Annabeth grinned, glancing down at her stomach. "Really?" She asked, her hands rubbing the growing protrude of baby. It definitely felt good to have someone see her enlarged state and say it was cute, other than just Thalia and Percy. Her boyfriend appraised Jason like he'd just said the right thing and Annabeth shook her head, laughing.

When she was about to take a seat on the floor by her best friend's feet, Jason and Thalia both jumped up. She said, "Here, Annabeth. Take the couch."

"Really guys?" she deadpanned. "I'm not handicapped."

"Just take the kind offer, blondie." Thalia gently "motivated" her into the seat, or rather pushed her. Percy laughed as he plopped next to her, his two cousins sitting by their feet.

Sally came back in the room, holding a tray of hot chocolates. Annabeth's mouth watered and she swore she almost drooled at the sight of that divine liquid. Somewhere in the background, she figured it to be the kitchen, holiday music was playing softly, making the atmosphere even more cheerful and festive. Curious, Annabeth glanced under the tree, and was surprised to see no presents. "Percy," she whispered to him as Sally handed him a mug.

He hummed in acknowledgment, watching her from above the lip of his cup. "Where are your gifts?"

A chuckle escaped his mouth and it blew a bubble into his hot chocolate. "My mom waits until late at night. I guess she never grew out of being Santa Claus," he explained, smiling at his mom fondly.

Annabeth cooed. "That is so cute."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she snuggled into the warmth his chest provided. A tiny yawn escaped her mouth and Percy watched her suspiciously. "Are you getting tired?"

"No," she rejected, checking the time on the TV's cable box. It was only a little after six o'clock at night, she refused be tired.

Percy's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "Mmhm," he hummed disbelievingly. "If you're tired, you should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day."

"It's just Christmas," she argued with a small smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've done it a billion times before."

He licked his lips that were stained with the sweet milk."Although I trust that you understand Christmas, Annabeth, I've got a bit of a surprise for you planned out. And you need to be in a good mood."

That had peaked her interest. She straightened. "What 'surprise' are you talking about?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Thalia scolded from the floor, playfully bumping the blonde's leg with her shoulder. "He can't tell you."

"She knows?" Annabeth asked incredulously, widening her eyes. "Come on. That's not fair."

Thalia snickered, sharing a look with her brother. "I told Jason, too."

"_Percy_," Annabeth complained, jutting her bottom lip out. She didn't like being the only one out of the loop. "Everyone knows but me."

Percy raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I only told my mom. I can't control what happened after I told that gossipy teenage girl."

His mother smiled sheepishly above her mug, shrugging her shoulders. "Sorry, Annabeth. Thalia was curious."

The blonde groaned, letting her head fall backward onto the couch. "Even Sally knows," she whined.

Laughing, Jason reached over and rubbed her knee consolingly. "You're just as pouty as I remember."

"I'm not pouty!" She protested seriously, watching as Thalia and Percy smirked, holding back their snickers. "Guys! Help me out! I'm _not_ pouty!"

Percy cleared his throat, lifting up his hand and moving his pointer and thumb an inch apart, saying, "Only a little bit."

Her mouth dropped open and she blinked. "No! I just don't like being out of the loop."

"Sure," Thalia nodded, biting her lip.

"I hate you guys." Annabeth crossed her arms, moving her vision to the TV screen with a tight lips.

"Pouty," Jason pointed out quietly.

He yelled out when someone's foot connected with his shoulder.

"Wasn't me," Percy laughed thickly, glancing at Annabeth who watched the television innocently, pretending she hadn't done a thing. She raised her chin proudly, biting away her smug smirk.

Jason grumbled.

...δ...

The Grace children left at around ten o'clock, promising to be back in time for the "surprise." Annabeth scowled, but said her goodbyes.

Sally had gone to bed a couple hours ago, so it was just Percy and Annabeth awake in the house. As he led her up to his bedroom, Annabeth had no hope that they would be taking advantage of their alone time. Too much had already happened today.

The scent of salty ocean spray attacked her nose as soon as she opened the door. Like usual, his room was a disorderly cannon blast, clothes strewn about the place and empty Coke cans scattered on his nightstand.

Annabeth just chuckled, knowing that Percy was a messy person. The mattress sunk as she fell onto his bed with a puff. He followed soon after, discarding his shirt and pants before slipping on a pair of basketball shorts. She pretended not to look...But she did.

Percy crawled in next to her and tried to get comfortable. Pulling her against him, she felt his bare chest against her T-shirt covered back and his warm breath blow into her neck. She shivered.

"Are you cold?"

A bit embarrassed, she nodded. His hand came to one of her thighs, rubbing it in attempt to create heat. His other hand broke free from it's hold on her waist to pull the blanket over their legs. Percy's scent surrounded her – from his pillows, his blankets, and himself, she found herself breathing in the smell.

Minutes passed and she peeked at the sky from his window. Clouds still shrouded the air and no stars could be seen. The glass of the window was fogged up due to the heater stationed just below it. She sighed, pressing further into Percy.

"This is much better than this morning," she admitted sleepily.

His chuckled shook her back. "I should hope so."

She smiled, bringing her elbow up and burying her face in it. "I was only upset because I care about you. You know that, right?"

Percy shifted, snuggling his nose into her neck. "How so?"

"Well," she started, letting her arm fall to the side. "I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be a problem...because I really want to keep you around." She didn't know how to word it, but she got the feeling that Percy understood what she was saying.

"You want to keep me around?" His hold on her tightened. "Good. Because I'm not going anywhere."

They were both quiet for a few seconds, Annabeth soaking up his sweet words. She felt really warm and safe there in his arms, and started to relax before he interrupted it. "I'm sorry that sounded so cheesy," he whispered in her ear.

"_Percy_," she complained.

"What?" He was laughing.

She turned in his arms, facing him head on. "You ruined a moment!"

"I'm sorry."

"You're not."

"I'm not."

She grumbled, nudging her nose into his face.

"Aw, you still can't resist me."

"Shut up, Percy."

Annabeth flipped over again, and he immediately dove his face back into her shoulder. His hands came around to hold her tummy. She thought that they were actually going to sleep this time. But she was wrong.

"I've been thinking about something you said," he started softly.

By the tone of his voice, she knew he was being serious now. "What is it?" She asked quietly.

"Well, uh, about Luke Castellan – Listen, I know we established that you haven't been with a lot of guys, and we've talked about my long history of girls, but we never really clarified whether or not you... Which by the way is perfectly acceptable if that is the case, because you know, compared to me, you're like... yeah." He cut off his rambling with a grimace. "Help me out here, Annabeth."

She wanted to laugh. But she had no idea what he was asking. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was hard for him to get out, which she figured was understandable considering she heard him say something about past romances. She went with a simple, "Huh?"

Sighing quietly, he got straight to the point this time. "I was wondering whether you've _been_ with anybody else."

It was a fair enough question, and she was secretly a little bit endeared at his awkwardness and overall interest in the subject. She let out a soft chuckle, thinking that her boyfriend was pretty cute when he wasn't trying to be. "Oh. You should've started that way."

Annabeth waited, knowing what she was doing to him and biting back her smirk. She couldn't help but to like watching him squirm. "Annabeth..." He pressed.

"I've only ever been with you that way."

"Only? I was your first?"

His breath was warm on her neck and she felt him snuggle closer. "Yup."

It was quiet for a few seconds, and then, "Oh God. I was really hoping you'd say that," he breathed out.

The girl laughed, looking over her shoulder at him. "What happened to it being 'perfectly acceptable' if I had been with someone else?"

"That doesn't mean I didn't have preferences," he pointed out. Even she could hear the relief in his tone and she thought that his worry had been pretty adorable.

Adjusting the pillow beneath her, she wondered if this counted as their "sex talk." She hoped so, because she had no idea how one of those was supposed to go down. Figuring that it was reasonably relevant, she asked, "What's stopping us from doing it again?"

"Having sex?" He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I figure we need to try and be as mature about it as possible. But then again, I'm not entirely sure how to do that, because my sex life consists of nothing but irresponsibility and recklessness."

She hummed in thought. "Well, tell me your concerns about it."

"This is already sounding mature, Annabeth. You're good at this," he whispered before going on normally. "I guess I just don't want it to be too soon. Because that could ruin things for us, you know? And I don't wanna do that."

Nodding, she tugged the comforter further up, relieving her chilled skin. "But Percy," she argued. "It's not like we haven't done it before. And I think that we're both ready to take that step."

Percy sighed. "We just have to be sure. Because once it happens, we can't...take it back. If you decide that you want to wait until we're married and ready for _another_ child, then it'll already be too late."

She tried her best not to choke at the mentioned marriage and second child. Blinking, she opened and closed her mouth for a few seconds before being able to compose herself. "Like I said," she told him. "It's already too late for that."

"The first time doesn't count. I was buzzed and you were all kinds of fucked up."

"I would think that it does count, seeing as it resulted in a child," she mused.

Percy pursed his lips. "You've got a point. But _emotionally_, I think you're off the hook."

"I don't know about that," she said. "I'm telling you that I want to, Percy. Truly, I don't believe either of us will regret it."

"Okay," he sighed. "What else?"

"Just to clarify: Are you planning on marrying me? Because that's what it sounded like."

Percy coughed suddenly and Annabeth was smirking into the dark. "I mean- I just meant that, like, we didn't say that we weren't- Fuck, Annabeth don't be mean." She laughed loudly, cooing at his discomfort.

He changed the subject and Annabeth didn't have to turn around to know that he was blushing. "What about protection? I see we won't be needing birth control."

Annabeth laughed lightly. "Too late for that."

His smile could be felt on her skin. He pressed a small kiss onto her shoulder. "I'm gonna go get tested again. Just in case."

"You've been tested before?" She asked. "They did me at my doctor's appointment."

"Yeah. A few times. I've never had anything. I've only ever had sex without a condom once." He cleared his throat and nudged his nose into the back of her neck, telling her who that had been. She blushed. "But I'm going to go again to be safe. Until then, we use condoms."

She nodded her head in agreement, feeling relieved that this talk was finally happening. It didn't feel too awkward, but maybe that was because they technically had already done the deed.

Then, a question popped into her head, and she couldn't help but to ask. "When was the last time you've had sex?" Maybe she wouldn't want an answer to that question, but a small part of her was hopeful.

"September. With you."

And that answer had kind of been worth the worry of what he might have said. Something inside of her felt giddy and relieved. Her tummy was light. "Really?"

"Really. There wasn't a whole lotta time between doing it with you and finding out you were pregnant. And I wasn't about to go sleeping around, knowing there was another girl somewhere carrying my baby – even before we'd gotten together. That's just not right."

A wide smile was spread across her lips, and she was glad that Percy couldn't see it. It would have been embarrassing for him to know how happy she was that he hadn't been with any other girls since her. And hopefully, there wouldn't be any others.

"We should sleep now, sweetheart. It's getting late." Percy yawned, rubbing her bump affectionately. She nodded, relaxing into the pillow and letting her mind wander.

Annabeth wasn't naïve. She knew that high school relationships rarely worked out, and it was even worse for teen parents. The stress and drastic changes that go on are too much for a lot of kids to handle. She didn't really know whether her and Percy would be together long enough to get married. And if they did, there was always chance of divorce.

The thought was pessimistic and put a slight damper on her happy mood, but she didn't want to fool herself. It wasn't likely that they'd be together forever – no matter how much she wanted that. She couldn't lie to herself by promising she'd be the last one he'd ever be with. But what she could do was focus on what it was like to be with him now, and hold onto the blooming hope that they _could_ indeed grow old together. Without trouble from friends, parents, or anyone else. That they _could_ be a family until the end.

When she thought about that, it became even harder to remind herself that not everything in life had a storybook ending. And she was able to come to terms with the fact that she was really falling in love with the idiot who was currently drooling on her shoulder. (Proving her point even more, she wasn't even grossed out.)

Perhaps it wasn't quite love yet, but it was racing pretty close.

...δ...

The next morning brought pale gray light filtering in through the clouded window. Snowflakes danced a path to the ground, building up and bleaching the landscape.

Annabeth sat up, glancing to Percy's digital clock. Glowy blue numbers told her it was eight o'clock. She shuffled out of the bed, adjusting her shirt that had shifted. Figuring Percy wouldn't be up for a while, she decided to take a shower.

The hallway's carpet was soft on her bare feet as she waddled down, heading for the bathroom. Once she had locked the door behind her, she stepped in front of the mirror, examining herself.

Bedhead did not suit her well. Blonde curls stuck up in the front, but were matted down in the back. Her shirt was pulled at and wrinkled and her face had an imprinted red spot from Percy's pillow. She sighed, stripping out of her comfortable yoga pants and spinning the knob on the shower.

Only a few minutes passed before she deemed the water a comfortable temperature and got in. Water trickled down her spine, stimulating her tired skin. She rubbed her eyes in search of a soap that was less...manly.

From what she could tell, this was exclusively Percy's bathroom. There was nothing but masculine shampoos and a sharp black razor. She shrugged her shoulders tiredly, not particularly caring if she smelled like a dude or not.

Annabeth had guessed that Percy's soap would smell beachy or breezy, when in fact, it was nothing of the sort. The wash smelled of pine and musk. It was strong and pleasant, but nothing like Percy. Her eyebrows scrunched because she didn't understand how her boyfriend could _naturally_ smell like an undersea castle.

As she was scrubbing herself clean, she only then realized that it was Christmas day. A shot of excitement pulsed through her as memories made their way to the forefront of her mind. Sugar cookies, stockings, and gifts.

The gift she had gotten Percy was something last minute. She had no idea what the kid would want, but she was fairly sure that he would enjoy the concert tickets she'd gotten for him. Although the actual concert was pretty close to a year from now, they were a band that Percy liked and she had gotten third row seats decently priced.

After she had rinsed, she stepped onto the soft red carpet under the tub, reaching for a towel. She had some spare clothes in her bag in Percy's room, so she wrapped the fabric tighter around herself and left the steamy bathroom.

When she entered through the bedroom door, she hadn't expected Percy to be awake. He was sitting up, leaned against the headboard of his bed with his hair in complete disarray. He took in the sight of her, narrowing his already half-lidded eyes. "Are you trying to seduce me?" His voice was husky and thick with sleep. "Because it's working."

She was pretty sure that even her toes were blushing at this point. Tightening the towel around her body, she quickly found her bag and unzipped it. "Sorry, Perce. But that wasn't exactly my intention." As she grabbed her clothes that Thalia had packed for her, she noticed that they weren't all that loose-fitting as she would have liked. She would definitely be _looking_ pregnant today.

They were coming to the point in her pregnancy when it was obvious that her large stomach wasn't just normal weight gain. Annabeth was round and very obviously pregnant. And in two weeks, she would be back in school, most likely even bigger than how she is now. There was no more hiding around for her.

As she stood up with her clothes in hand, she felt familiar arms clamp around her waist. A sleepy male voice in her ear murmured, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, babe."

His husky chuckle blew into her hair. "I have to admit that I'm liking the new nickname."

A soft smile formed on her lips. She felt him squeeze her once more before running to his door and exclaiming, "Presents! Go get dressed!"

Annabeth shook her head, seeing that he was still shirtless and smiling fondly. She threw one of his shirts out the door after him. "You first!"

* * *

_**Slow Ride – by: Foghat**_

**next chapter will continue where this left off. I know it kinda ends at a weird spot, but eh. Hope you liked it**

**Bella**


	22. The Surprise

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Coming downstairs, Annabeth was surprised at the stacks of gifts under the tree, which most definitely hadn't been there last night. Sally had been busy.

Percy sat on the couch, wearing his basketball shorts and the tee Annabeth had thrown at him. His smile was blinding as she took her seat next to him, snuggling into his side. His arm came around her, left hand fondling her tummy. "Wow," he muttered. "You're really getting big."

Shooting him a dry look, she raised her eyebrows. "Gee, thanks."

"Oh, come on," he laughed. "It's great." His thumb started to rub little circles and he hummed happily.

The Christmas tree emanated a scent of pine throughout the house, the smell pairing with the normal cinnamon and firewood mix. The pale morning light shined through the glass double doors of the living room, illuminating a large square of space on the floor and couch. Through the doors, she could see the snow piling up on the Jackson's deck in a layer that was at least six or seven inches tall.

Sally Jackson walked into the living room, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. Her smile was as bright as her son's and Annabeth thought that for the first time, they actually looked like they had something in common. Percy had Sally's smile.

"Merry Christmas, kids!" Sally exclaimed happily, taking her seat on the oversized recliner. She reached for a digital camera that was sitting on the ottoman in front of her. It made a chiming beep sound as she turned it on. "You can start opening presents, now!" She squealed in excitement.

Annabeth remained still as Percy stood up stretching. His thick arms raised over his head and she really had to try and keep herself in check. Percy wasn't ripped, but his arms were something Annabeth appreciated very, very much. A little chunk of his tattoo peeked out from his shirt, and Annabeth wondered for the first time if Sally knew about it. He didn't seem to care about hiding it, so she figured that his mother must have known. She began to think what Sally's reaction must have been. Was she angry? Did she think it was cool? What would _Annabeth_ think if her son or daughter got a tattoo?

Shocked out of her thoughts by someone's laughter, Annabeth shook her head and looked away from Percy's arm to his face, which was currently scrunched in amusement at her. "Still asleep?" He asked.

"No," she said, pinking. "Just a little distracted."

"I see that." He winked at her, smirking.

Before she could give him a worthy glare, he turned around, reaching for a stack of gifts wrapped in silver, snowflake paper. He handed them to her with a smile, walking to the other side of the tree for another stack of differently wrapped presents. Confused, she glanced at the sticker for the name of who the gifts belonged to.

Her eyes widened when she read her own.

"What?" she mumbled to herself, reading the tag on each glittery, snowflake paper wrapped present in her hands. They were all addressed to _her_. Percy plopped down on the couch next to her, handling a jumble of boxes covered in blue paper with little snowmen dotted around it. Holding one of her gifts up in his view, she raised an eyebrow in a questioning look.

Percy frowned, pushing it closer to her. "Is there something wrong?"

"What is this?" she asked.

"I don't know. Open it and find out," he told her with a shrug.

"No, I meant-" she started before being cut off.

Sally smiled as she tore off the paper from one of her own personally wrapped gifts. "Annabeth, did you think we wouldn't get you anything?"

Percy narrowed his eyes in her direction. "What? Why would you think that?"

The teenager felt uncomfortable as she opened and closed her mouth, shifting around. She glanced down to the small group of gifts in front of her. "I don't think- I can't take these."

"Of course you can," Percy brushed off, turning around, apparently done with the conversation.

Sally seemed to understand Annabeth a little better than her boyfriend at the moment. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. It was no trouble."

Annabeth bit her lip. In truth, she really hadn't expected anything, even though it was Christmas, and she really should have known the Jackson's better than that. She was grateful, but oddly uncomfortable with accepting such gifts.

Percy, watching her hesitation, stage-whispered, "It would be rude to decline."

A small, tentative smile played on her mouth. "Guys...thank you so much for this" she forced out.

Chuckling, Sally hushed her. "If it makes you feel better, not all of them are for _you_ specifically."

Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows and Percy laughed, picking a flat and narrow box out of her gifts. He handed it to her and she took it gently. Examining the sides for only a moment, she lightly tore the paper from the gift to see a long, white box. Percy nudged her with his elbow, prodding her to open up. She lifted the lid and looked at what was inside.

A thin layer of paper hid just the top of something soft and fuzzy. Moving the crinkling sheet to the side, Annabeth covered her mouth with her hand, gaping at the beautiful gift. She looked up to see Sally and Percy grinning at her.

In the box was a tiny, white blanket. The material was as soft as rabbit fur when Annabeth lifted it out of the box, brushing it against her face. In the bottom-right corner, there were embroidered words. _Baby Jackson_, it read in swirly, gray font.

She closed her eyes, breathing heavily. When she could see again, she found Percy and his mother looking on with mutual expressions of hope and excitement.

This blanket was now the baby's first ever possession. Somehow, it made everything all too real for a moment, and she was forcefully blinking back tears – which was becoming a habit of hers, much to her chagrin.

No one could have told Annabeth that at seventeen years old, she would get a baby blanket for Christmas, and think it was the best gift she _could_ have gotten. But she felt so surprised and giddy in that moment – her arms shot around Percy, clamping around his neck.

His chuckle was loud in her ear, but all she could focus on was hugging him with everything she had. "This isn't the surprise, you know," he whispered to her.

Annabeth pulled back to see Sally giving her a knowing smile. She wanted to say thanks – about a million times for such a thoughtful and precious gift – but Sally just shook her head, understanding Annabeth's gratitude and knowing that she was thankful. The blonde turned back to Percy.

"What? What more could you do for me?"

His smile was wide. "You aren't even done with your gifts yet. My surprise will be," he struggled for words for a second. "..._revealed_ at around noon."

Over the next twenty minutes, Annabeth and the Jackson's finished up opening their presents. Annabeth had received maternity clothes and children's books from Sally, and she couldn't have been more grateful. It seemed that the woman knew exactly what Annabeth could have wanted, and she put it down to the fact that she had been playing Percy's Santa Claus for years now. The teenager wondered if she would be the same way with her own baby.

The girl looked forward to using the books to read to her baby – something she had been looking forward to for a while. And the clothes would definitely be coming in handy with her newly morphed body.

When she got around to opening her gift from Percy, she just closed her eyes and smiled. Her head shook disbelievingly and she glanced down at her lap just to reaffirm what she had seen there. In her hands was a copy of the book she had been reading in the book shop. You Against Me. Percy had actually been listening to her when she had gushed on about it and had gone out of his way to find and buy this book. She crushed him in another hug.

Sometimes, even she didn't understand how much he meant to her.

Now that she had opened all of her thoughtful gifts and she was just about vibrating with the love she had for these two people, she couldn't wait to give Percy his. Sally had loved the coffee mug Annabeth had bought her. It was huge – Probably big enough for Percy to wear as a hat, and the woman said that she had always wanted something big enough to carry all of her morning coffee.

Percy smirked as Annabeth handed him the envelope that held his tickets. "This isn't, like, the bill for all of your doctor's appointments, right? 'Cause I could see that happening."

She pushed at his shoulder, urging him to open up. His reaction was important to her, she found herself leaning forward in anticipation and hope. If he didn't like it – not that he would actually say anything, of course – she would be crushed.

In a deliberate slowness that had Annabeth grinding her teeth, Percy peeled back the mouth of the envelope, biting back a smile.

"For the love of all things merry, open it, Percy!"

He laughed, but slit the paper flap. The two tickets peeked out of the top of the envelope. Seeing the mysterious paper, Percy pulled them out, studying them with his eyebrows drawn tight. After a minute, she knew his dyslexic eyes must have deciphered the printed black words, because he gasped.

Annabeth squeezed her yoga pants covered knees in anxiety, watching him closely. He spun around to face her, gaping, but there was a light in his eye. "Are you kidding me?"

Biting her lip, she shook her head, her own excitement peaking at just witnessing her boyfriend's happiness. "This has got to be a joke," he muttered as he flipped the tickets around, looking for some kind of hoax or clue to a prank of some kind.

Sally chuckled, winking at Annabeth. The teenager moistened her lips, resting her head on Percy's shoulder before reaching a hand out to turn the tickets back around in his hand. "No joke. Just two tickets to Social Distortion next September."

Percy blinked, turning his head to try and look at her before going back to the tickets, and then back to her again. His open mouth soon morphed into a grin as wide as Thalia's on pizza night. He roughly pulled her into a tight hug that had caught her by surprise, almost knocking her breath away. "Whoa there, Grippy, watch the bump."

His nose nuzzled into her neck, only softening his clutch enough for her to breathe. "Annabeth, this is... I can't believe you did this for me." Annabeth grinned unabashedly as she smoothed down his hair with her hand, brushing her fingers against his scalp. "Wait a minute," he started, pulling back. "How much did these cost? Annabeth-"

"It would be rude to decline," Annabeth repeated his words, smiling innocently.

"Sweetheart, this is too much," Percy tried to argue, but Annabeth knew he wanted those tickets as much as she wanted to give them to him.

"Ssh, Percy," she broke in. "Accept my gift, or I'll cry."

She could see him trying to hold back a smile, but he looked at his tickets again and grinned, turning back to Annabeth again. "You know you're an angel, right?"

Cooing, she mock-fanned herself at the compliment. "Aw, shucks."

"You two are so adorable."

Sally still sat in the recliner across from them, her hands folded under her chin and stars in her eyes as she watched the two teenagers together. "I'm going to write about you two one day," she said wistfully, watching somewhere behind their heads, as if imagining the stories she could share with the world.

Annabeth laughed, sharing an amused look with Percy. His eyes dropped closed and he leaned into her. Against her lips, he mumbled, "Thank you." Then he kissed her, and Annabeth thought that maybe this was the best Christmas she could have asked for.

And she didn't even know how much better it would get.

...δ...

Upstairs, Annabeth and Percy shuffled around his room, putting away Percy's new stuff. Annabeth kept her gifts in a stacked pile in the corner of the room, out of the way until she could get it over to Thalia's house.

Percy was attempting to fold a new dress shirt he'd gotten, but looked like he was struggling. Annabeth smiled softly as she gently took the shirt from his hands. Draping the shirt over a metal hanger in his closet, Annabeth showed Percy how to store formal clothes. Percy scoffed, claiming, "Well, that's too much work for something I'll wear once a year."

The boy fell onto his bed with a puff as Annabeth shoved the last of his new socks and underwear into his top drawer. She followed suit, crawling up close to him and feeling pooped. It wasn't a new thing to feel exhausted after not much of anything, but it still surprised her how easily she tired.

Lying down on her back, she looked up at the ceiling. A small web of cracks expanded from a spot above her head. Curious, she asked Percy what it was.

He laughed before answering. "I used to play baseball when I was younger." He finished as if that answered everything.

Then she felt him sigh and shift in his position. Percy's head moved to lay in her lap and almost instinctively, her hand began running through his hair. He hummed as he turned his face slightly, just enough to give him access to her growing belly. Pressing a small kiss into her shirt, he leaned back, watching the ceiling just as she had been.

It was quiet for a few moments. The sound of his calm breathing and the festive music playing downstairs was the only thing she could hear, until Percy spoke again.

"My mom used to tell me that Christmas was my dad's favorite holiday. It makes me wonder what he would have thought if he had been here this year."

Hearing about his father had surprised Annabeth. Percy never talked about his past willingly and she felt compelled to make him feel as comfortable as possible. She wanted to say the right thing, do the right thing, in hopes that maybe he could open up to her more often. This was an opportunity to get to know Percy better and she was sure she was about to freak out.

Composing herself, she spoke to him softly. "What do you mean?"

"Like," he started, moving his hands around like he was grasping for words. "What would he think of _us_. Or me, rather...You know, father at eighteen, punk with bad grades and a long list of mistakes following him."

Annabeth breathed in deeply. "I think he'd be proud of you," she murmured.

"How so?" His tone wasn't fishing for praise. Percy wasn't like that. He was curious as to what Annabeth thought his father could appreciate about him.

Her hand softly brushed through his hair over and over again, relaxing him and smoothing out the uncontrolled locks. "You've made mistakes, Perce. A lot of people have. But your dad would have been proud at the way you've stepped up and taken responsibility for everything you've done. I may not have known him, but I know that anybody would be proud to have a son like that.

Percy turned his face at her, green eyes squinted and studying his girlfriend. "That was a really nice thing to say, Annabeth."

"What?" she laughed at his disbelieving expression. "It's not like I've never complimented you before!"

"I guess," he shook off, grasping at one of her hands and examining it. "It's just weird to hear people say nice things about me."

For a second, she let that sink in. Throughout Percy's life, he'd been the troublemaker. He hadn't been looked up to like Annabeth had – he didn't think highly of himself. And that made her feel kind of rotten on the inside. She'd had times when she thought she was jealous of Percy's easygoing life, while he had been feeling the opposite.

She just pulled him up so he could lay next to her. Instead of Percy comforting her, she reached her arms around his shoulders and held him, letting him know that she meant every word of what she said. Percy was something to be proud of.

...δ...

At noontime, Thalia and Jason had already arrived. The snow was coming down hard now and she could hardly see Thalia's car pull into the driveway. The two entered the house, laughing and shaking the weather off their clothes and hair.

They exchanged their greetings and wishes of happy holidays before scuffling into the living room. They had to climb and shuffle through the maze of wrapping paper and empty gift boxes to the couch. "So, I see that Annabeth hasn't received her last gift yet," Thalia submitted with a smirk.

Annabeth groaned, letting her head fall back. "I hate you so much."

"Soon, Annabeth," Percy broke in, chuckling and checking the time on his phone. "Very soon actually."

And at that moment, the door bell rang, and Annabeth felt a shot of unease course through her. "Well, would you look at that," Percy muttered cheerily as he stood up to answer the door.

She couldn't guess what Percy had up his sleeve, but she didn't like Thalia and Jason's mischievous grins as they glanced at each other. She heard the door open and quiet conversation until footsteps sounded down the hall.

In the next moment, three guests and Percy were standing in the archway of the living room, looking on with wide smiles. A burst of shock and some kind of unfamiliar longing exploded inside of her. Her eyebrows shot upward and her mouth dropped open.

Percy laughed as Annabeth's father and brothers entered the room with large smiles on their faces. A strangled mix between a shocked laugh and sob escaped her throat and she stood up off the couch. Her eyes blinked as if the boys might have been some kind of illusion.

"Hi, baby," her dad greeted, stretching his arms out for a hug. Annabeth shook her head to dispel the serious surprise she was feeling and slowly walked forward. The room halted, everyone holding their breath and watching the teenage girl closely.

She was only slow the first few steps before she shot forward, clinging onto her father. His chuckle was low in her ear, and her eyes were stinging. "Dad?" she choked.

"Merry Christmas, Annabeth."

Frederick stepped back and Bobby and Matthew moved forward. Both had shy smiles on their faces as they took in the sight of their sister's watery eyes and bulging belly. Bobby was the first to wrap his arms around Annabeth's waist in a hesitant hug.

The blonde teenager's hand flew to cover her mouth as she leaned down, pulling Matthew into her as well, squeezing her brothers tightly. This was entirely becoming too much. Her emotions felt like they were developing their own emotions and everything was intense and strong. "Oh God," Annabeth mumbled to herself as her heart clenched painfully. She tugged them impossibly closer, making up for weeks of separation.

"Annabeth, I'm sor-" Matthew started before Annabeth cut him off with a hush, smoothing back the hair on his head. She didn't want them to apologize. She didn't want to think of the bad times in this moment.

When she finally pulled back, someone was casually handing her a box of tissues. Chuckling at his girlfriend, Percy shook the box in his hands as he pushed it at her. She rolled her eyes as she took many tissues from the carton, blowing her nose and wiping her face.

"What are you guys doing here?" she finally asked, poking Bobby in the tummy, eliciting a giggle from him.

Frederick stepped forward, "Your boyfriend invited us over for lunch."

Annabeth turned to Percy with a look that was something close to adoration, and reached for his head with her hands, pulling him in to sprinkle kisses around his face. The slight stubble growing in on his jaw tickled her mouth and she loved the feeling of it. The girl kept mumbling the same thing over and over. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you..."

Only he could hear her words, but the moment couldn't have been as special as she liked, seeing as all of her closest friends and family were paying close attention. Thalia cooed loudly, breaking her from the moment with her boyfriend.

"Thank you," she whispered again earnestly, pressing one more solid kiss to his lips before pulling away. Percy was grinning and his hands were stuffed in his pockets coolly, like he hadn't just done something spectacular and unbelievably thoughtful for his girlfriend.

As Annabeth stepped back and just looked at her family, all together like this, she let herself think just how special this moment was. She had everyone that she truly cared about in one room – excluding her mother, of course, but that was a different matter – smiling and laughing together over Annabeth's reaction.

Frederick took a step towards Percy, he brought his hand up in a firm shake with the teenager's. "Nice to finally meet you, Percy. Annabeth seems to care a lot about you."

"I sure hope so, sir," Percy told him, grinning. Annabeth bit her lip in attempt to hold back all that she was feeling at the moment.

It was too much. All of it. And she loved every second of the haze of intense emotions and feeling. Annabeth was finally getting the family she wanted.

...δ...

"My, you have grown, dear," Frederick told his daughter, a few hours later, studying her belly with a soft smile as Jason and Thalia helped Sally organize the living room. Bobby and Matthew sat on the carpet in front of the TV, playing on Percy's PS3 while Percy sat behind them, shouting commands and advice for the two boys.

Annabeth blushed, glancing down at her swollen stomach. "Yeah, it feels like I get bigger everyday."

He chuckled softly, swirling his apple cider around his glass. "Your mother gained very little weight when she was pregnant with you. Could hardly tell she was having a baby – now with the twins, that was a different story." The girl found herself sitting forward, wanting to hear anything she could about her mother's past pregnancies. This was the kind of information she craved. What she could never get from her own mother, but desperately wanted.

Tugging at the end of one springy blonde curl, she built the courage to venture into less lighthearted conversation. "I have a feeling that Percy wouldn't have _just_ invited you guys."

Frederick sighed, pulling at his shirt collar. He looked uncomfortable, just as he did when he was about to lie. "She, um, had to work today, I'm afraid."

"On Christmas?" Annabeth asked flatly. "How unfortunate."

It wasn't that Annabeth wanted to talk about her mother and all the ways that Athena was hurting the young girl, but she needed to ask. She needed to know what her mother was thinking. She couldn't ignore it – how could she? Athena was her mother and as much as Annabeth regretted to admit it, she missed her.

"She'll come around, sweetheart," Frederick told her, rubbing a consoling hand on her knee. "Just give her time."

"She'll run out of time," Annabeth said. "If mom can't get over her issues by the time our baby is born, then I don't know if I can forgive her...As much as she wants to believe that Percy and I are just teenage brats that are together for the sake of the baby, that's not exactly the case. I really, truly care about him. And if today doesn't say enough about what he feels for me, then I don't know what could." The two watched Percy play with her little brothers on the video games, loud and energetic. The boys were laughing, budding a friendship with the teenager rather quickly.

"He's a nice boy, Annabeth," Frederick said quietly, smiling at his sons. "I wish it hadn't taken this long to see that."

Tears attacked her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Or the millionth time that month. But she didn't care. Her father's acceptance for the boy that she was committed to, felt a little like a thunderstorm after a year-long drought. It was sweet, airy relief and she was just happy in that moment. This Christmas surely hadn't disappointed her.

Sally shoved the last of the wrapping paper into a large, black garbage bag, whistling a tune under her breath. She was smiling, as happily as Annabeth was feeling. Thalia had plopped herself on the floor beside Bobby, catching up with the twins – seeing as they hadn't spoke in as long as Annabeth had moved out. Jason sat in the kitchen, gluing little candy gumdrops onto a gingerbread house with white frosting. He chuckled as he heard his cousin yelling at the video games to stop cheating him out of his points.

"Are you happy, Annabeth?" Her father asked suddenly, looking at her head on. He was obviously wondering about her current life as a whole. With teenage pregnancy, rebellious boyfriends, and adolescent emotions. Frederick was concerned about his daughter for what seemed like rarely in her life, and she was taken back by the question.

She answered as honestly as she could. "I don't know what'll come for me tomorrow, but today, I can't imagine it getting any better than this."

* * *

**okay chapter sucks and it's late and im very sorry you beautiful people because ive been terrible. Im trying not to suck but this chapter was so hard to write and I have no idea why**

**thanks for reading**

**Bella**


	23. The Transition

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

"**Brace Yourself"**

* * *

At the end of the night, Frederick and the boys were suited up in heavy outerwear, ready to brave the fierce winter weather outside. Annabeth squeezed her family tightly, wishing that this wasn't as rare of an occurrence as it was. She didn't want this Christmas to end.

"We'll see you soon, sweetheart," her father told her as he pressed a kiss into the side of her head. It was like he already knew what she was thinking. "We're still a family."

Offering a watery smile, she squatted down to kiss each of her brother's foreheads. "It was nice seeing you guys," she told them, brushing their hair back so she could see two pairs of warm brown eyes.

Annabeth thought that exchanging goodbyes was probably the hardest part. They could say that things wouldn't be the same as the last few months – that they would actually start acting like a family – but it wasn't set in stone. Athena could interfere, they could change their minds. Who knew whether or not this would be the last time she'd be with them in months?

"I love you guys," she said to her family one last time as they walked out from the Jackson's house. The rest of the family was relaxing in the living room, giving Annabeth privacy in her farewells. She leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms over her chest as the thin winter air invaded the warm home.

Frederick smiled sadly. "You're doing a good job, Annabeth. As an adult or a parent. You're making some good decisions, and... I'm proud of you, baby."

Before she could choke on her own breath or maybe start crying again, her father waved, guiding her little brothers into his car. With one last honk, he pulled out of the drive way, small twin hands waving their goodbyes through the back window.

She backed into the house, shutting the door quietly. The living room suddenly spurted a bout of loud, male laughter, and Annabeth let her feet guide her into the room, trying to come to terms with what her father had said.

A memory of his first reaction to her pregnancy shot into her mind like a slingshot. "_I don't want to hear it_," he had said. "_That is a disgusting kind of behavior and I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed of you, Annabeth._"

She sucked in a deep breath at the thought. His wild look, his disbelief and utter disappointment at his own flesh and blood. She remembered the way he wouldn't talk to her, and the way he had let himself drift away from the family.

Frederick had just told her that he was proud of her.

Annabeth blinked, and then smiled, entering the living room feeling something that felt like a mixture of relief and contentment. Her stomach jumped happily when she took in the sight of Percy and Jason on the floor, battling it out in Need For Speed. Jason was winning, his nimble fingers flying across the black controller, and Percy was nudging his elbow into his cousin's gut, trying to distract him as he caught up.

Thalia was fiddling with a phone in her hands. Annabeth settled into the couch next to her, looking at the new device that Thalia was typing into. "Christmas present?" Annabeth asked with a smirk.

Her fingers stopped, moving up to lock the phone. The punk narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "It was dad's idea," she explained.

"Yeah, yeah, rich girl. Whatever."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "What about you there, squirt? I saw your boyfriend's little surprise. No doubt he's getting blown tonight."

Annabeth gaped, scandalized. "Thalia!" she scolded, her face lighting up pink. "I can't believe you said that!"

Only smirking, she shook her head disbelievingly. "I sure can. The way you were looking at him..."

"Oh God," Annabeth muttered, her head falling into her hands. Her friend was too straight forward. She glanced to the left, making sure Sally hadn't heard anything. The woman was cheerfully drinking peppermint tea out of her coffee cup that might have been big enough for the baby to take a bath in, thankfully not having heard Thalia.

Thalia sat up, slipping her phone into the pocket of her leather jacket. "Well, it's getting late," she sighed.

Jason's eyes didn't leave the screen. "Thalia. Ten more minutes. Papa Percy thinks he can beat me."

Percy let his eyes flicker to his cousin quickly. "Yeah, I do." His knee came out to strike Jason's thigh. The boy didn't flinch.

"Nope. I used to chase _these_ girls around the mansion. My legs are steel."

Percy grumbled.

In the end, Jason had won, declaring himself the best driver since Ricky Bobby. Percy muttered something about first being the worst, second being the best.

"Third is the one with the hairy chest," Annabeth said, slinging an arm around her boyfriend's slumped shoulders.

"That's gotta be the cousins in Maine," Thalia inputted with a smirk. "I bet they're real hairy."

Jason's head fell back and he groaned loudly. "Did you just say that we have more cousins? I refuse to believe this."

Thalia laughed, pushing her brother towards the door after they had said their goodbyes to Sally. "There're two of them up there."

A tired sigh escaped Jason's mouth, but he didn't look annoyed. "Next thing I know, I'll have another brother, too. Or worse, I'll have a sister."

Annabeth punched him in the shoulder. "You don't like the sister you have?" she asked with bite, smiling to let him know she was joking. The blond boy shook his head, laughing.

"Annabeth, if I had to take in another sister, I'm thinking she would be you."

"That's probably true," she agreed, chuckling. She squeezed him in a hug, kissing his cheek. "It was great seeing you, Jase. I'll be back around the house sooner or later."

Thalia tilted her head to the side. "You're sleeping over again? Sometimes I forget that you actually live with _me_..."

Her arms took Annabeth in for a hug. She kissed her best friend's head. "Remember what I said," Thalia whispered, fixing Annabeth with another oh-so-attractive blush.

"Thanks, Thals. I'll see you guys soon," she told them, ushering them out of the house after they'd hugged Percy. "Stay safe," she called out once they were in the sedan.

Jason stuck his head out the window, waving a gloved hand. His breath looked like smoke when he yelled back, "See you later, Incubator!"

Annabeth laughed and she felt Percy tug her back in by the waist. He dotted kisses up her exposed shoulder, kicking the door closed with his foot. He locked it with a shove and a click. "Today was fun," he said, entwining their fingers and swinging their hands as they called their good nights to Sally, who was now in her own bedroom.

Percy led them into his room, shutting the door behind him and tossing off his shirt. "It was," Annabeth agreed. Her eyes traveled the length of his body, and she gave herself time to look at her exposed boyfriend.

He didn't have so much definition in his muscles as he did size. Percy was big and had a strong build. His shoulders were broad and his arms were thick. He was sturdy, but not ripped. His skin looked soft, rolling over smooth planes of muscle, but definitely felt hard.

The tattoo on his arm added to the effect his body had on her. He was masculine, and admittedly sexy. When he stretched his arms outward, the black ink rippled and morphed. He then laid down on the bed next to her, and she wrapped her arms around him.

Percy had made this day one of the most memorable of her life. He had created her family, and that was no small feat. Nuzzling her nose into his ocean smelling hair, she sighed.

"Thanks for today, Perce."

His head turned upward, brushing his nose across her cheek and bringing her mouth to connect with his once. He kissed her chastely before mumbling, "No problem."

"Seriously," she told him. "You have no idea how much it meant to me."

Percy pulled her close to him, dragging her head under his chin and resting his own head on top. "I'm happy you enjoyed yourself."

As they sat there together in silence, Annabeth really let herself think about what Percy meant to her. Classic rock played quietly out of his stereo, as his hand rubbed back and forth across her tummy.

Percy was something different in the world. She knew that much. It was strange for Annabeth. _New_ in the that she didn't understand what she was feeling. It wasn't familiar to her. Her eyebrows scrunched when she realized that there really was only one way that others described what she felt toward Percy.

It wasn't a question at this point. She was beginning to understand what people would talk about on TV or in magazines. The feeling that was heavy, and settled deep in the pit of her stomach. But in the another way, the feeling was different for her. Annabeth wasn't blushing or grinning. Her eyes didn't flutter, and she didn't look at him any differently. It felt like something inside of her just...clicked. Like a key finally sliding into it's slot, or screwing the cap on a bottle of water. She loved him.

She had seen it coming.

Her fingers traced around his chest as she came to the realization, idly playing with his little chest hairs. She pursed her lips, nodding to herself. She was okay. Her first teenage love, and she was alive. She was surviving – pregnant and hormonal, but she was living with herself. If one was prepared enough, Love was an okay thing.

Maybe better than okay.

Because the revelation was beginning to settle. It might not have been a big deal to her – admitting it, at least. But she still felt the effects of it. She was experiencing urges. Cravings for her boyfriend. Annabeth tilted her head up, and used her other hand to gently pull him by his hair, bringing his face down. She kissed him again.

And it was different than the last kiss, in the way that she was asking for more. There was nothing holding her back from being with him this time, and she intended to use that to their advantage. She ran her fingers down his exposed chest.

There was an urge to smirk at the way his breath caught. He pushed his mouth a little harder against hers, catching up with her. He shifted his weight, settling her underneath him and Annabeth felt the anticipation spread through her like the surging rapids of a river.

When he pulled back, he just looked at her, studying her face and expression. She licked her lips before tugging him back down. His hands traveled up, clutching behind her neck and pulling her closer into him. Tighter against his body. She let his tongue into her mouth.

Annabeth's stomach was flipping back and forth. The amount of desire she felt was a little confusing to her, considering that sex had been so repellant to her only a few weeks ago. But lately, it was all she was thinking about when Percy and her got together romantically.

The skin all over her body tingled and her heart thumped wildly in her chest at the prospect of what was coming. Her shirt was soon stripped off by her own eager hands, leaving her in a bra. Percy's breath was heavy and ragged, he pressed his whole body against hers hungrily. She could feel the result of his arousal hard on her stomach.

"Annabeth," he breathed, only pulling his lips back enough for his words to be coherent. "Are you-"

"If you ask me if I'm sure, I'll bite you," she muttered, reaching behind her and unclasping her bra. The straps hung loose around her shoulders and Percy helped her toss the item, rolling his eyes affectionately.

"Alright then." His mouth latched onto a soft spot on her neck, sucking a bruise into the even skin. She caught her breath, unthinkingly arching into him. Her chest pressed into his and he faltered, his mouth losing it's suction.

Percy shifted, his elbows holding him up as his lips drifted to her chest. Muscles and veins in his arms bulged under the strain, her hands came up to caress them. Her mind was muddled from the things he was doing to her as she mindlessly stroked his arms, trying her best to refrain from pushing harder into him.

When it came to the point where she was shaking in anticipation, she decided she needed to go further. One of her hands drifted from his arms, down his chest. She twirled her fingers along the sexy trail of hair under his navel before dipping them beneath his basketball shorts.

She'd never done this sort of thing before. At the moment, she was just going off of pure instinct, and she had a feeling that wasn't about to let her down, because Percy jerked when he felt her small hand start massaging him. His mouth stopped and he sucked in a hard breath. It was so different for her to see him this way. In the bedroom, Percy wasn't his normal cocky and sarcastic self. He didn't have control of himself.

Percy was warm and hard against her hand. It certainly felt awkward and unfamiliar, but she was getting the hang of it. Her grip was light, not completely understanding what would hurt him, and what would feel good. He didn't seem to mind too much.

Her ministrations had Percy panting, his forehead was sweating and the color was fading from his plump pink lips due to the extreme pressure of his teeth. His face dug into the crook of her neck, stifling the noises that he surely wanted to make.

Now there was no doubt about the bright red blush on her cheeks. She hoped she wasn't making a fool out of herself by her lack of experience, but if she'd been basing anything off Percy's reactions, she figured she was doing it right.

"That's enough," his husky voice said, catching her hand. For a moment, she was scared that she had done something wrong, but that didn't look like it was the problem. Annabeth watched him. His dilated pupils flung back and forth across her body. He took her in again, his throat bobbed as he swallowed.

She tugged her hand away, reaching behind his waist and fingering the lip of his shorts. He didn't make any move to stop her, so she pushed the material down his legs, along with his black boxers. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, but she couldn't help to stare. Back in September, she hadn't exactly gotten a good look at the entirety of Percy's bare form. A quiet moan escaped her throat and she bit her lip, unconsciously bucking her hips forward.

Her boyfriend let out a sharp breath, his eyes unfocused. He squeezed them shut for a second, seemingly trying to get a hold of himself as he muttered, "God, Annabeth." His hands moved to her waist, helping her kick off her own yoga pants.

When she was left in just her own simple white undergarments, she fought back the urge to be insecure. If Percy heard her thoughts, she knew he'd be angry with her. It was just that she wondered whether her stomach turned him off. The last time he'd been with her, she admittedly hadn't been "perfect," but definitely hadn't been seventeen weeks pregnant. She knew he wouldn't say anything if her body grossed him out, so there was know way for her to know what he was thinking, and it bit at her.

She wanted to be perfect for him.

Percy's eyes caught hers when he twisted his fingers at the band of her panties. She gave a small, affirmative nod before lifting herself up to help him slip the fabric down her legs.

Annabeth was left completely exposed to him, and she decided she wouldn't let her petty insecurities get in the way of her enjoying herself with her boyfriend. She deserved to feel comfortable in this moment, so she forced herself to ignore the poisonous thoughts that told her to worry about the way she looked.

His jaw clenched as he took in the sight of her and his forehead dropped onto her shoulder. "You're killing me, Annabeth." Her chuckle blew warm air into his untamed black hair. She wrapped her arms around his waist, tightly hugging him against her. "Are you ready?" He asked softly, his words only a whisper in her ear.

"Yeah," she affirmed, shifting under him to get comfortable. He lifted his head from her, positioning himself between her legs. The anticipation attacked her in waves. She was ready for this. She was nervous, but she knew what she wanted.

Annabeth looked up at him, he leaned down close to her, brushing his lips against hers before applying more pressure. He kissed her softly, slowly slipping in below. Her breath stalled and she squeezed her eyes shut.

The feeling was still foreign to her, and she didn't know if she could ever get used to it. Percy moved in slow back and forth movements. She felt him move his mouth to her neck once again, as he continued to rock into her hips.

Her breath was heavy and she felt her eyes well up. It was not the time to feel like an emotional wreck, but there was so much feeling for her. She didn't let any tears escape, because that would have been horribly embarrassing. Annabeth now knew that she loved Percy, and being with him in this way felt like finally transitioning into who they were together. There weren't any barriers for them to cross anymore. She liked the feeling of belonging to just him.

Percy's arms boxed around her head, and a wave of familiarity hit her hard. Her mind briefly flashed back to the blurry night at the Stoll's party. Percy had locked her in his arms as he brought her to completion.

As Percy continued moving above her, she got quick glances and memories of the last time they had done this. Things that she hadn't remembered from before. Things that were coming back to her.

The way Percy had drove his face into her neck, and mumbled words that she couldn't understand. In the same position, it was almost like Annabeth could finally make out what he had been saying all those months ago.

"_God, I've wanted this for so long."_ Percy had said into the skin of her neck. Her drug addled mind refused to acknowledge the words. _"Jesus Christ, Annabeth. You have no idea what you do to me."_

Shaking her head, she decided to brush it off. Annabeth had no belief that the information was authentic. For all she knew, it could have been a figment of her imagination, although it still seemed odd.

"Annabeth," Percy spoke her name like a prayer. "Annabeth, Annabeth..."

His lips reconnected with hers, molding into the warm flesh eagerly. Something was building in her and her breath was coming out in pants. She squeezed her hands around Percy's thick arms that had her trapped in his embrace before moving them up and sliding them into his hair. She tugged lightly at the locks, pulling his head impossibly closer to her own.

When Annabeth released, she clamped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tight against her. His head moved to the side of hers, nibbling at her ear as she tried to keep her moans quiet. The stubble of his jaw tickled her cheek and her eyes shut tight. She let herself get lost in the feeling.

It was only a few minutes later when Annabeth knew Percy was about to finish. His movements were erratic, having lost their rhythm. He stiffened above her, murmuring her name into the skin just below her ear. Her hands ran down his back, stopping at the bottom of his spine and massaging the area softly as she felt him let go.

Once he had come down, Percy's body fell to the side of her. His warm breath blew onto her neck and Annabeth let herself relax into his mattress. Her skin was hot and overstimulated, but she felt happy. A few minutes later, Percy shifted from his face down position, turning on his side. He tugged at her wrist, silently asking her to move into his arms.

Her bare back hit his sweat-dampened chest and she sighed in content. They calmed down together, letting their breaths even and their hearts slow. When her eyes started drifting shut and she was close to sleep, Percy stood from the bed. She turned enough so she could watch his bare body as he walked across the room. He flicked the stereo and lamp off before reaching onto the floor for his boxers.

Catching her eye, he laughed quietly. "What?" He slipped into the underwear, reaching behind him and tossing Annabeth another one of his T-shirts.

She caught it, dropping it over her head quickly. "Nothing," she told him with a hot face at having been caught staring at him. The boy crawled back into bed, chuckling as he took up their previous position.

Percy hummed into the skin of her shoulder. One of his hands stroked through her hair, and she really was about to fall asleep again – what they had done had tired her out. The repetitive movement lulled her until Percy whispered her name.

"Hmm?" She asked wearily.

"Goodnight."

She hid a grin into her shoulder. "'Night, Perce."

...δ...

Annabeth hummed quietly as she vacuumed Percy's bedroom. He went back to work three days after Christmas, and Annabeth figured his room needed to be cleaned and there was no way he was going to do it.

Sally had returned to work as well, leaving Annabeth alone in the house. By herself, the Jackson residence was boring, and normally, she would have just gone back to Thalia's. But the girl had been staying here since Christmas Eve, and she still didn't even _want_ to leave yet. Especially after the events of Christmas night.

The vacuum crackled as it sucked up chip crumbs from the floor. Almost all morning she had been working on cleaning. When Percy got home, she was expecting at least a little praise.

A crumpled shirt laid on the floor, she tossed it into the laundry basket at the edge of his room as she swerved the vacuum around the corner of his bed.

Maybe she was lying to herself when she said she was cleaning just to waste time. Annabeth knew that if she sat around and did nothing, eventually her mind would stray to its current cause of stress at the moment – which happened to be the impending start of school.

Having something to do was allowing her to keep her mind in a safe spot, away from the worry of high school and the very obvious bump under her sweater. She wondered what people would think. Annabeth Chase pregnant with Percy Jackson's baby.

They'd been dating for a while now, so hopefully the pairing wouldn't be too much of a surprise. If it was anybody, she was sure that the students would be able to believe that Percy had been the one to knock someone up. Most people would say that they'd already seen it coming. But from Annabeth? No. That would come as a shock.

Annabeth heaved a bag of trash over her shoulder and left the room. The inside of her chest stung painfully with heartburn as she made her way out into the cold, concrete garage, tossing the bag into the Jackson's metal trash can.

The girl had been waiting for the pregnancy symptoms to fade, but it seemed that a new one sprung up each week. She rubbed the left side of her chest soothingly as she went back upstairs.

Only twenty minutes later, Annabeth was finishing up in Percy's room. A wad of paper towels was crumbled up in her hands as she sprayed Windex onto his foggy window. Just as she wiped the glass in a wide arc, she felt silent arms wrap around her waist and she squeaked before yelling out.

A male chuckle escaped into the air. "Really, Annabeth? Do you think I'm here to kidnap you in my own home?"

Her body relaxed at the familiar voice of her boyfriend, and she slumped in his arms. She felt her face heat up, and she muttered, "Hi, Percy."

Percy pressed a kiss into her temple before releasing her body. "What's going on?" He asked, his eyes flinging across the room, studying the newly cleaned space.

Clearing the rest of the cleaning solution from the window, Annabeth tossed the wad of damp paper towels into Percy's waste bin. "I cleaned your room."

His eyebrows raised and he patted her shoulder praisingly. "Good job. It looks nice, Annabeth. Thanks."

She smiled, settling onto his just made bed tiredly. "I'm glad."

Her boyfriend got a little glint in his eye as he took a spot next to her. "You know," he started smugly. "I'm thinking that after all this hard work, it's only reasonable for me to assume that you want to live here. You're nesting in my house."

Rolling her eyes, she elbowed his gut. "I'm not nesting," she rejected. "Your room was a pigsty."

"Mm-Hm," he hummed disbelievingly. "Why don't you just move in already? We all know you like staying here, and when the baby comes, it would be great if we could all stay together."

Annabeth shifted away from him, her stomach flipping a little at the mention of their baby. "I don't know, Perce." He wouldn't be able to understand what it would be like for her to move in. The girl would feel like an intruder, no matter how often Percy reminded her that she wasn't. Her head would constantly remind her that she didn't belong here. If she hadn't gotten pregnant and messed with the Jackson's lives, they would have happily lived on in their house without her.

Maybe she gave it too much thought, but it was a problem for her. She didn't want to be reminded that she threw herself into these people's lives. The thought made her uncomfortable.

"I don't see the problem," he said sadly. "I want you to live with me. It wasn't hard for you to move in with Thalia, but when I ask you, you get all distant and uncomfortable. Do you not..._want_ to?"

"It's not that I don't want to," she argued, pulling at one of her curls. "It's just that it's... a lot. And I don't know if I can handle barging into your house so suddenly."

"Trust me, Annabeth. It's not sudden at this point."

She sighed, turning back to him. It's not like she wanted to hurt his feelings, or make him feel like she didn't want to live with him – because she did. She loved staying at Percy's house and seeing him so often. It was the "moving in" part that bit at her. It seemed like she was already experiencing too much for a seventeen year old girl, but that was the life of a teenage mother, right?

Maybe she should give Percy a chance. It wasn't like she could change the fact that her life was accelerating rapidly. And she would have to overcome her insecurities about being a bother to them. Percy was looking at her with pleading, baby seal eyes and her resistance was crumbling faster than she'd like to admit.

"Annabeth, just give it a shot. You'll be happy here. I promise."

Taking a deep breath, she chose to go for it. Because Percy had done enough for her. so she could at least give him this. It might have been a mistake, but she owed it to him to try. She nodded. "Okay."

"Okay, you'll move in? Or okay, you'll think about it?" He asked hopefully, sitting up straighter on the bed.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, smiling at his excitement. "Okay, I'll move in."

When Percy grinned and tackled her in a hug she couldn't help but think that maybe she wouldn't regret this decision too much.

* * *

**I think this was the most explicit I've ever written. I hope it wasn't _too_ smutty. And sorry if Annabeth's proclamation of love was a little confusing. Even I was wondering if that made any sense.**

**I have some plans for conflict coming up, which most of you can already guess. Hope you liked it.**

**Bella**


	24. The Return to School

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

Annabeth tugged a thick wool sweater over her head as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were wide and her hair was mussed carelessly. She looked frazzled and she knew why. Holiday break was over, and school was back in session.

Running her fingers through her hair quickly, she tried to calm the mass of untamed curls that attacked her head. She was running late.

It wasn't her fault, really. She had never gotten ready for school at the Jackson's house before, and she was learning that it wasn't a menial task. Her boyfriend could attest to that, being that he was the best kind of distraction. Annabeth had to force herself to focus and gather her stuff for school.

No use. She ended up forgetting her English book anyway.

All Percy had to do was brush his teeth and he was done. She sighed impatiently as he used the last five minutes of their time to languidly run the brush back and forth in his mouth. His eyes drooped and he blinked sleepily.

She poked him in the back, urging him to hurry so she could use the mirror. "Pushy," Percy's sleepy voice muttered, stretching his arms above his bare chest lazily before leaving the bathroom, hopefully in search of a shirt. She rolled her eyes, using the pad of her finger to wipe the mascara out from under her eyebrow, blinking rapidly in hope of drying the make-up faster.

A bell-like chime sounded from her pocket and she retrieved her phone to find a text from Thalia.

_remember who matters today_

Annabeth sighed, locking the screen and shoving the device back into her pocket. By no means was she excited for school today, but she didn't want to be reminded of how much it would suck. Her best friend would be a support, as well as her boyfriend, which she appreciated, though that didn't make the day any less intimidating.

Thalia had been surprisingly lax about the whole "moving out" situation. Well, she had admitted that Annabeth had practically been living with Percy for a weeks, and she wasn't shocked in the least at the new advance in their relationship.

But that didn't stop Thalia from making all kinds of sexual remarks and innuendos. Annabeth tried to ignore most of them, but still, some days Percy found her hunched over her phone, furiously fanning a blush away from her face.

It didn't come as a surprise that Thalia was pretty much on board with Annabeth and Percy's new transition in their relationship. Thalia was almost more excited about them sleeping together than Annabeth was. Almost.

The clock told Annabeth it was time to go, and she hurried down to meet Percy in his truck. He was already sitting in the driver's seat, his head resting on the wheel and the music playing quietly in the background. "I never believed guys when they said that girls take forever to get ready...But I think I do now."

"Oh, shut up," she mumbled, buckling herself in. "I'm distracted."

Percy frowned at her for a second, giving her a look that said he understood what she was upset about. "Annabeth..."

"I'm fine," she waved off, shaking her head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine today."

Not looking convinced, he pursed his lips and nodded, turning his attention to backing out of the garage. They were at school within twenty minutes, driving slowly due to the ice that wouldn't melt off the roads. Admittedly, Annabeth believed that snow was only fun before Christmas. After, it was just a hassle.

Pulling into a parking space, Percy twisted his keys out of the slot, his hands falling into his lap. "You know, we don't have to go in," he told her.

"No," she rejected immediately, shaking her head. "We'll have to do this at some point. No sense in putting it off." Her eyes drifted down to her bulging, eighteen-and-a-half-week pregnant belly. There was no mistaking what was under her shirt for today.

"Whatever you say." He looked at her sadly, as if he knew how apprehensive she was about the day. "But if at any point today you wanna go home, just text me and I swear we'll be outta here."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Perce."

He stepped out of the car, looking around for any nosy students before he made it to her side, opening the door. She would have giggled at the action had her stomach not felt like lead. Taking his outstretched hand, she hopped out of the car, trying her best not to waddle.

There weren't many people in the parking lot, but she didn't want to know what they would be thinking of her. She couldn't bring herself to stand tall and proud. Not when she knew what they would be thinking.

She kept her eyes on her shoes.

Percy's hand tightened it's grip on hers, and she knew that he wasn't doing the same as her. He was standing up straight, allowing every passing student to get a glimpse of his challenging scowl. Students were scared of Percy. And as long as she was under his care, they'd have to be out of their mind not to fear her as well.

When they made it to the front doors, Annabeth felt like she might hurl. Her stomach was flipping so hard, it was physically starting to hurt. She swallowed thickly before letting Percy push the door open.

A gust of warm air hit her face, and the sounds of a loud hallway full of teenagers came at her, shaking her eardrums from the volume. She squeezed Percy's hand as he led her in, still keeping her head down.

It was only a few seconds later when the vibrations in her ear started to dull. The hallway was in the process of falling silent, students halting conversations to take in the newest scandal. Her face was on fire as her and Percy's footsteps echoed along the linoleum tile.

Then came the whispers. And that was when her eyes started to well up, because little known to her oh-so-thoughtful peers, she could hear them. They arrived at her locker, Thalia standing there with a hard look on her face. But what was she supposed to do? Tell them to stop talking to each other?

"_That..._Fucking_...Slut..."_

Laughter.

"_Annabeth Chase. _Pregnant_. __Wow._"

She bit her lip as she opened her locker. The hushed conversations weren't as silent as she hoped. She didn't know if it was because her own mind was freaking out and mindlessly straining to hear what people had to say about her, or if the other students didn't give two shits whether she heard them or not. Either idea sucked.

Another whisper. This time it was familiar, and it's tone didn't hold the venom that she was quickly becoming accustomed to.

"Percy," Thalia whispered, sounding like she was holding back a chuckle. "That look is _vicious_."

Suddenly interested, Annabeth glanced up at her boyfriend. He was standing in front of her, shielding her body from the students. She couldn't see anything past him, but that wasn't what had her attention anymore, anyway.

Percy's glare was one-hundred-percent possessive. As if he was telling the students with his eyes that they were not allowed to look at her. She was his, and no one was going to hurt her if he was around.

But he couldn't block the sound.

"_That's why he was dating her! He's stuck with her!"_

"_I feel so sorry for Percy."_

"_...Probably on purpose. Just to have him all to herself. Disgusting slut."_

A protective arm came around her shoulder, and the effort it was taking to hold back tears was actually starting to tire her out. As she backed up from her locker, closing the metal door, something hard shot out of the swarm of bodies, slapping her right in the temple.

Before she could even identify the item, Percy's arm ripped off of her, and he launched into the crowd of laughing people. Strangled yells and gasps escaped as Percy pushed through students. He stopped at one particular boy, using his left hand to sharply pull the guy's head back by his hair, and his right hand to deliver a hard punch to the face.

Some girls screamed, but most of them backed up in shock, clearing a circle around the two boys. People stopped laughing audibly, but they watched on in amusement as Percy threw the guy against the lockers. The loud sound of the boy's body hitting metal rang through her ears. Thalia ran into the group, harshly shoving kids out of the way to get to Percy. Annabeth stood at her locker, one hand covering her mouth and the other clutching her belly protectively as calamity ensued.

"Stop, Percy!" Thalia yelled, grabbing his shoulders to try and pull him back from beating the guy. "The asshole's not worth it! You'll get suspended!" That was Thalia's silent way of reminding him that if he couldn't be at school, there wouldn't be anyone to watch out for Annabeth.

Reluctantly, Percy stepped back, breathing heavily and offering a glare that had Annabeth shivering from her spot, fifteen feet away. The boy's nose was bleeding and quickly turning purple. Probably broken. His eyes were wide and he quickly backed out of the crowd.

Percy gave the students all one last intimidating look before using his arms to roughly clear a path, Thalia following after him.

Annabeth knew that she had started crying, but she couldn't stop it. Her hands whipped out to hastily remove the wetness from her cheeks as her thumping heart settled. She had been scared and humiliated. She looked on the ground to see a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer. Someone had chucked that at her, and she didn't even think she could have been more embarrassed than when she walked in, but she was wrong.

The students were treating her like an animal.

When Percy got next to her, he kicked the hand sanitizer down the hall, and wrapped an arm around her waist. People were still staring. Thalia turned around, clenching her fists and hissing, "Mind your own fucking business!"

Most of the students scrambled, seeing as they were going to be late to class anyway. A few girls from the debate team stood off to the side, throwing her sympathetic looks. Annabeth turned away, feeling like a total loser. Even her old friends had seen the whole fiasco and hadn't done a thing to help her.

"Annabeth," Percy whispered, kissing the temple that now had a little pink mark from the bottle. "We can go home if you want. You don't need to deal with any of this shit."

"No," she told him in a shaky voice. "It was going to happen sooner or later. Let's just forget about it."

He sighed, obviously disagreeing with her decision. Grabbing her hand again, he said, "Come on, sweetheart. You're gonna be late to math."

Percy stood to her left, walking her down the hallway with his body slightly put in front of her protectively. Thalia stood to the other side, a little behind her, watching from the back.

Annabeth felt like she had bodyguards. As much as that should have meant to her, it was just embarrassing. She was a seventeen year old girl, not the president of the United States. She shouldn't have to worry about airborne Germ-X or the taunting threats of teenage girls.

Soon, they had arrived to Thalia and Annabeth's math class. Lucky for her, Annabeth wouldn't have to go through the first period alone. Percy stopped them a few feet away from the door.

Pulling Annabeth into a hug, he kissed the top of her head. "Don't forget what I told you. Just text me, and we'll be out of here."

She nodded against his chest, pressing her lips into his shirt. "I'll see you in Spanish."

With one more squeeze, he pulled back. He kissed her once on the lips before walking in the opposite direction. Not that he cared, but he would be considerably late to class.

Turning around to the classroom, Annabeth scrunched her face uncomfortably. She didn't want to go in, but knew she had to. Thalia looped her elbow with Annabeth's, seeing her hesitance to enter the room. "I'm with you, Annabeth. What those little fucks think means nothing."

She nodded, trying for a small smile. They pushed the door open. Keeping her head down, she shuffled to their seats in the back, carefully avoiding the legs of the many teenagers actually trying to trip her. Settling into her seat, she forced herself to focus on Pre-Calculus and not the stares of the entire class.

...δ...

No one could stop the whispering, and God dammit, Annabeth was getting tired of hearing it. The hushed tones that did nothing to hide what they were saying. The words that left the teenagers' mouths, like they were purposely talking to rip Annabeth apart.

Come lunch time, Annabeth had been through four classes of torment. People stared at her. They threw notes onto her desks. Some even had the audacity to approach her personally – when Percy or Thalia wasn't around, of course. Spanish wasn't as bad with them around.

Annabeth shuffled the sticky notes and ripped college ruled in her hands, looking through the messily scrawled notes.

_it's called birth control. ever heard of it?_

_i can finally understand why percys dating you. thanks for clearing that up, moby-dick._

_Youre a joke_

Looking away, she stuffed the notes in her pocket. She cleared her throat as she stood up from her desk. Lunch time was next, and she was afraid of what could happen in the cafeteria.

In the hallway, Percy waited for her, standing tall with his arms crossed over his chest. When he saw her, his lips twitched into a tiny smile. "Hey."

"Hi," she breathed, trying to ignore the sounds of hallway around them. "Ready for lunch?"

"Am I ready?" he asked incredulously. "I should be asking you that. I'm ready to kick some sorry ass if anyone even looks at you funny."

"Stop," she told him, hitting his chest lightly and biting back a smile. "No more fighting for you."

Percy laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they made their way to her locker again. "I can't stop. It's my duty to defend your honor."

She rolled her eyes, although she felt a little better than before. Finding her locker, she twisted the combination in, pulling the door open. A piece of paper fluttered off the top shelf, seeming as if someone stuck it through the upper slots. Before she could decipher what it was, other than a brochure, Percy had snatched it off the floor.

Her eyes widened as she read the back of the paper, seeing the words "Planned Parenthood" and "It's your choice!" Percy's dyslexic eyes squinted as he tried to make out the writing. Thinking fast, she ripped the piece of paper out of his hands, crumpling it up and shoving it in her backpack.

Percy scowled at her, crossing his arms. "What was that?" He asked, probably embarrassed that he couldn't read it. She felt bad about taking advantage of his weakness, but she couldn't let him see it. If he knew that someone had stuck an advertisement to an abortion clinic in her locker, she was afraid of what he might do.

"Don't worry about it."

"Annabeth," Percy warned.

She held her ground. Although she was hurt and even a little angry about receiving the brochure, it was almost helping her to focus on keeping Percy from it. It was distracting her from her own feelings. "Trust me, Percy. You don't want to know."

"Well, who put it in there?" He growled, glancing around the hallway as if one of the students would be wearing a sign with an arrow pointing to them.

"I don't know," she admitted, grabbing her lunch out of her locker and slamming it shut. "And I don't wanna know. Let's just get to lunch."

Percy shook his head, his jaw clenched. "This is fucking ridiculous. People need to get over themselves."

They headed into the large room, tables full of noisy and talkative students crowding around the area. The kids didn't bother Annabeth too much on the way over to their own table, she put it down to Percy's reaction this morning. She didn't think too many other students were looking forward to a broken nose.

Sitting down next to Thalia, Annabeth sighed. People's stares were prickling into the skin of her neck, making her uncomfortable.

"_I cannot believe she's pregnant. _Annabeth Chase_. Like, when the fuck did that happen?"_

"_And with Percy Jackson. But that's not as surprising. He's been with more girls than I can count."_

Percy sat on her other side, his hand holding hers tightly, keeping it in his lap. The group of people at her table were frowning as their eyes shot around the room at all the attention they were getting. Annabeth felt guilty. Now her friends were getting sucked into everything she had started. Her eyes stung and her face burned.

A few girls passed by the table, one of them quickly reaching over and tugging on Annabeth's curls before scurrying away in a fit of giggles.

"Oh, that's mature," Annabeth muttered, her vision blurred with emotion. Percy tried to stand up, but she knew that he would probably regret what he was about to do. She pulled at their connected hands, giving him a pleading look. He sat back in his seat, pursing his lips and staring angrily at where the girls had scuttled off to.

Her table was silent, shifting around uncomfortably. There was only about four other kids, and they were too close of friends to treat her poorly. They offered her looks of pity and Annabeth decided that she couldn't do it. She leaned over to Percy's ear, and whispered, "Can we eat somewhere else?"

Immediately, he nodded, guiding her to stand up. Annabeth kept her eyes away from her friends, not wanting to see their reactions. Self-conscious, she pulled at her sweater, adjusting it against her stomach.

"_That's not doing anything for you, honey. We can still see it."_

Gritting her teeth, she glared at wherever that one came from. Percy told the group something about wanting to get air, and he pulled her out of the cafeteria.

Annabeth was beginning to feel less hurt and more pissed off. She wasn't the first girl to get pregnant at this school, but for some reason, she felt as if everyone were treating her worse than any of the others. She knew that wasn't true, though. Annabeth had seen it before, and remembered the torture that those girls had been through.

She never would have thought she'd be in their shoes.

Percy brought her to the car, opening the door for her. She stopped before she could climb in. "I don't wanna go home yet."

There was something defiant inside of her that didn't want to let the bullies get the best of her. For herself, and all of the other girls that had to withstand the torment of the student body, she had to stand strong and not let them know how deeply they dug into her.

Her boyfriend sighed, muttering, "I figured."

They ate lunch in the car. Percy said that he liked it better than the cafeteria anyway, but she thought that maybe he was just trying to be nice. His arms awkwardly tried to open a bag of chips, his lips pursed in concentration.

Annabeth was grateful for such a supportive boyfriend, but it was still hard. She knew she'd have to go back in there and deal with all sorts of threats, taunts, and insults. The radio played quietly and warm air shot out of the vents. She was comfortable here with Percy, but she wished she could be back at her table with her friends, like she was before they everyone knew she was pregnant.

But she knew nothing could be the same as before.

...δ...

The rest of the day had gone as smoothly as it started. Which was to say not smoothly at all. Gym class was the worst. Her clothes didn't fit. Her shirt stretched tightly across her front, the bottom of her bump sticking out. The elastic shorts were okay, but her growing curves made them short and tight on her. If she wore them, the other students would have an actual reason to call her a slut.

Girls giggled as they walked past her in the locker room, pointing at her indiscreetly. Annabeth sighed as she changed back into her normal clothes. Her back ached and she was still fighting back the heart burn. She wasn't in the mood for gym class anyway.

When the teacher called attendance, her eyes widened at Annabeth, and she seemed to understand why the girl hadn't changed for class. The coach gave her a sorry smile, pulling her to the side. "Why don't you go to the library for class today? You can study up on the rules of basketball instead of actually playing. It's probably safer that way, too."

Annabeth nodded gratefully, gathering her things as the woman wrote her a pass. As she made her way down the empty hallways, she texted Percy to let him know where she would be.

Signing into the library's clipboard, she was relieved to see there weren't many people around. It was becoming like second nature. Counting however many people were near her, and wondering if they would do anything. Not everyone was rude to her, something she couldn't express how much she appreciated. A lot just felt bad for her, knowing that their school was unforgiving and cruel.

There were a few seats to the right side of the room, and she chose one that was a little out of the way, hoping that there wouldn't be too much traffic around the area. She pulled a book out of her bag, letting herself forget the events of the day.

After the hour of relaxing, Annabeth could say that she had calmed down. Though, she knew that once she left the library doors, she was free game once again.

The bell sounded somewhere down the hall, and she stood up reluctantly. Percy was waiting for her again and they were able to quickly make it out of the building. She hoped that the news was settling, and now people had less ammunition to throw at her. She was pregnant, and now they all knew.

They waited for Thalia in Percy's car. She was coming over to hang out after school today. Since Jason had left and Annabeth moved out, the girl was pretty lonely.

Annabeth gripped the handle above the car window and breathed in tightly. Her chest was stinging with heartburn and there wasn't much she could do about it. She made a mental note to Google what could stop it.

Only a few minutes later, the back door opened and Thalia shuffled in. "Today was rough," she sighed as she strapped her belt across her waist.

"You're telling me," Annabeth replied, angrily picking at the hem of her shirt, still taking deep breaths to calm the sting in her chest.

"It went worse than I thought it would," Thalia admitted.

Percy's jaw clenched as he turned the car out of the parking lot. "You think?"

"No need to be touchy, Perce," the punk mumbled defensively. She directed her next question at Annabeth. "How'd it go after lunch?"

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, trying to convince them that she was perfectly okay. She didn't want them to worry about her. And she definitely didn't want to break down again. All it did was make her look weak, and that seemed to be all she was capable of lately.

"I got to miss gym 'cause I was too fat for the uniform, so that was pretty cool. It's like I've got a cantaloupe under my shirt."

"Well, that's...good."

"Yeah," she agreed casually, switching the station on the radio.

...δ...

They spent the rest of the afternoon not doing much of anything. Thalia brought over a few movies, so naturally, there was about a twenty minute debate between her and her cousin on what they should watch.

Eventually, they just had Annabeth choose. That was probably a mistake on both their parts, because she wanted to watch a documentary on Free Willy – seeing as she was called that today, at least six times. But they didn't know that.

Percy thought it was interesting.

Thalia fell asleep.

After a couple of hours, it was getting late and her best friend said she needed to get home. Luckily, Sally was home and offered to give her a ride, since she'd left her car at school. Saying goodbye, Percy and Annabeth made their way upstairs.

The blonde flopped onto the bed with a tired sigh, shuffling to the left to let Percy have room next to her. His arms wrapped around her waist, snuggling her against his chest as one of his hands rubbed her belly.

This was a position that she found them in often. She loved it when she got to cuddle with her boyfriend, especially when he was affectionate towards their baby. After a few minutes of silence, the inevitable happened, and her little bubble of bliss popped.

"Are you okay? Today was... pretty terrible."

She felt her body stiffen, but she kept her face indifferent. It was a scary thing that she had inherited from her mother. The way that she could let all the emotion drain from her face. Percy noticed this before she was able to reply. "Hey, don't get all vacant on me. I wanna talk about it."

"Well, I don't," she told him, turning in the other direction and letting him look at the back of her head.

"Annabeth, don't be like this."

She didn't want to relive the events of today. Thinking about going to school tomorrow and the next day, and the next day, she felt like she was going to cry again. She didn't want to do that; she was tired of it. And she didn't want Percy to know how she felt.

But that was impossible when he kept interrogating her so constantly. She just wished that he wasn't so protective all the time. Annabeth hid things from him, because he got like _this_. And she didn't like it.

"What?" she asked. "I'm fine. Stop trying to make it a bigger deal than it is. I've gotten over it." However much that contradicted the truth, she didn't care. Percy didn't need to worry about her with everything else they were going through.

"Annabeth, don't lie to me."

She bit her lip, responding, "I'm not lying. Just forget about it, okay? It's not your problem."

"You're not making this easy," he argued, pulling back from her and sitting up. "Why do you _always_ do this? You push me away whenever something bad happens. Jesus Christ, why can't you just be straight with me for once? It's not like I ask for _that_ much from you, but when I do, you get all moody and distant!"

By the time he finished, he was shouting. Like, once he started venting, he couldn't stop. And now he was getting worked up. He'd stood up off the bed and was gesticulating wildly with his hands like he did whenever he got angry. Her eyes welled up and she stood, too. Her hands shook as she said, "You're being an asshole, Percy."

"Well, you're not being too delightful either! I just don't get you. Whenever I try to help, you fucking spit on my effort, ignoring it and pushing me away. It's aggravating! You know, you always talk about how bad your mom is, but then you go and act just like her."

Annabeth turned her head away, feeling the tears finally escape from her eyes. "I'm not in the fucking mood for this. Leave me alone," she muttered angrily, stomping out of the room and slamming his door shut. She made her way to the guest bedroom and collapsed into the bed. Her lips trembled and she squeezed her eyes tight, trying to forget what just happened.

The whole scene replayed in her head at least a hundred times. Her stupid heart wouldn't calm down. She heard stuff being thrown around, things breaking and getting knocked over in the room down the hallway. She knew Percy was the culprit. He would never hurt her, but when he got angry, it got taken out on his stuff.

In the dark room by herself, everything seemed intensified. She was angry at Percy, but also at herself. Why couldn't she be right? She never did anything the right way, and now she was fighting with Percy. She didn't have a lot of people that were supporting her, and she just ticked off the most important one. Annabeth loved him, but sometimes he just made her so crazy.

Sighing, she rubbed her stinging eyes tiredly. She couldn't deal with it right now. School was tomorrow and she was going to need all the energy she could get before she went back.

Pulling the blankets up to her chin, she stuffed her head under the pillow and held her baby until she fell asleep.

* * *

**It was very difficult to write this in five hours. But I did it for that one anon on tumblr who's going to be gone for the weekend. So this chapter is dedicated to whoever that person is.**

**I'm sorry that it's rushed and a little unrealistic, but like, I don't know. This chapter was hard to write.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Bella**


	25. The McDonald's Lunch

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

**PERCY**

Percy stuffed his head under the pillow as he heard Annabeth's alarm go off. He groaned hoarsely, reaching out and trying to wake her up so she could turn it off. When all he felt was the cotton fabric of his pillow and no pregnant girlfriend in his fingers, he shot up from the bed.

His eyes darted around the room, looking for his Annabeth when he noticed the place was a wreck. Clothes were strewn about the room, the laundry basket hurled carelessly to the side. The drawers of his dresser were ripped from their hinges and piled messily on the floor. There was a small fist-shaped indentation in the wall.

That was when he remembered last night.

Percy could already feel a headache coming on as the scene replayed in his head. Sighing, he stood up from his bed, climbing through the mess on his floor to get to the bathroom. So much for Annabeth cleaning his room.

After using the toilet, he quickly brushed his teeth and ran his hands through his hair, fruitlessly trying to get it all to stand in the same direction. He headed back to his room and looked through the clothes on the floor for something to wear. Not being able to tell what was clean or dirty, he blindly reached for something that didn't have any noticeable stains on it.

For a moment, he wondered where Annabeth was. He assumed that she'd gone into the guest room last night, but he wasn't sure. He spent only a minute trying to convince himself that he didn't need to check on her before he caved.

Peeking a head into the room down the hall from his, he saw a lump on top of the mattress. A patterned comforter was pulled up, only revealing a head of honey blond curls sleeping soundly. The sunlight invading the dark room from behind the blinds lit up stripes of his girlfriend's face. Her eyes were shut and her mouth was only slightly parted. She was snoring, and he had to leave before he could get caught up in how cute she looked. He was supposed to be mad at her.

And truthfully, he was angry. It seemed like every time something unpleasant happened to Annabeth, she shut him out. It was frustrating beyond belief, because he cared about her more than he could understand just yet, and he wanted to help her. But she never let him.

Yesterday at school had been one of the most stressful days of his life. The way people were treating his girlfriend had his blood burning and his fists clenching.

Annabeth was a good person. She got good grades. She made the right choice – most of the time. She was responsible and didn't do things to only benefit herself. She had so much love in her heart and she didn't deserve a second of the treatment she had received yesterday.

And Percy knew that it was too much for her. She could pretend she didn't care about the whispered insults and muffled giggling, but he knew her better than that. It was getting to her. She wanted to act like she was strong, but what she didn't understand was that she wasn't weak in the first place.

No person could look at Annabeth and her hardships and think that she was a coward or a whiny teenage girl. She was so hard on herself, it aggravated him like nothing else. That was why he wanted to talk about it last night. He wanted her to let him inside her head and let him know what she was thinking, but as usual, she distanced herself from the situation.

Annabeth was constantly keeping things from him and it pissed him off. He always had to find out about things on his own. She never came to him first. Sometimes, it felt like she didn't trust him, or didn't think that he was important enough to be kept out of the dark.

Maybe he was wrong for trying to push her into conversation, but if he didn't completely believe that it would've helped her, then he wouldn't have done it. She never trusted that he could actually be right some of the time. And partly, he felt insulted by that. He surely wasn't as smart as she was, but he also wasn't an idiot. Most of him was just frustrated by the fact that she wouldn't give his opinion the time of day.

Admittedly, with Annabeth he was different. Percy didn't like fighting with her. It made his mind race and stomach churn. When she messed up – which, in truth, didn't happen all that often – he usually opted with the method of forgetting about it. Because it made him uncomfortable not being on good terms with her.

That kind of made him feel like a pussy.

By no means was Percy a submissive kind of person. But Annabeth was like a loophole. Her cleverness and beauty could evade his most treasured structures and rules. Most people thought that he was completely reckless and wayward – and he was, in terms of his actions and outward reactions. But inside of his mind, things worked in a system. A system that Annabeth was very talented in crashing.

Percy didn't let himself act so indebted to anyone. There were rules he had unconsciously set up a while back. He didn't like to be put down or bullied. He didn't like to feel beneath someone. Probably because he had felt that way so often as he grew up. But Annabeth was his queen – however cheap and overused that sounded. He felt like he was either kissing the ground at her feet, or catering her every whim. And most of the time, he didn't have a problem with that, he actually liked to please her. But he put that down to the strong feelings he had for her. They didn't make any sense, and he refused to look any further into them.

But this time, he wasn't going to cave in. If their relationship was going to be fair and honest, he needed to be straight with his feelings. Percy didn't want to just give into her this time. This was something that he truly believed could be a structural problem with their relationship. If Annabeth couldn't be open and truthful with him, it didn't say good things about their future together as a couple. Or cooperating parents.

He let it slide when she had accused him of the drug use. Partly because she had been right. He _had_ smoked the pot at some point, it just wasn't as recent as when she had blamed him for. It was an understandable fear she had – that Percy could potentially be risking himself and their shot at a family. He was glad that she wouldn't put up with that kind of behavior as a mother and a girlfriend. But he was also hurt that she could think he would do those things while preparing for parenthood.

Not many people would believe that he was so deeply invested in the little family he was creating with Annabeth. But it was a trait that was rooted in his core. Family was just about the only thing he had going for him. After his father died back when he was five years old, his mom and him only had each other. It was ingrained into his mind at such a young age just how important family was to someone. He didn't have a lot of close relatives – excluding the shiny new cousins he had received this year, but that was a different matter entirely.

Percy knew how much it meant to him to have his own child.

He wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that he had a kid somewhere out in the world and didn't know them. He wouldn't know their favorite color, or their favorite TV show to watch on a Saturday morning, or how they did on their first spelling test. That kind of thing would kill him. He needed that stuff. Growing up without his father, Percy always wondered. And not knowing was the worst of all the feelings.

When he got into trouble at school, he wondered what his father would have done. Like Percy's mother, would he frown and ask him to try harder? Or would he have yelled, grounded him, and maybe even whack him with a leather belt? He hated not knowing his own father. There was a part of him that would always resent not having that kind of insight to his own life. How would Percy father a child when he never understood or knew the action itself?

Throughout his life, Percy had made mistakes. A lot of them. Everyone knew that. The issue was that he didn't have any reasoning in line with him to make those mistakes. He didn't really have an excuse for why he slept with all those girls. It would be a lie to say it was because he had a terrible past and it was some kind of coping mechanism – even if he wanted to have that kind of excuse. At least it would be something. He just did those kinds of things, because...Well, because sex felt good. Smoking weed felt good. Going to parties and drinking so much he was sure he'd have to get his stomach pumped the next day felt good – metaphorically, at least. He couldn't say that it wasn't his fault, because it really was.

At least he wasn't out there specifically to break girls' hearts. When he slept with someone, it was always under the mutual understanding of the term "one night stand." Girls knew he was trouble. They expected nothing more from him, and he wasn't sure if that was a lucky thing or something to be ashamed of.

All he could say was that he might have learned something from all the shit he'd done. At least he hoped he did. He couldn't be sure, due to the fact that he had a pregnant girlfriend and about a million strangers that hated his guts. (Annabeth's parents being a part of that group only a few short months ago.)

With everything that he had done, he only hoped that he could be a good father. He didn't want to be just competent or exceptional. He wanted to be his child's role model. Or their hero. Percy wanted _someone_ to be able to look up to him without seeing a troublemaker boy with more detention slips than morals.

And he would make damn sure that he wasn't just the _best_ father he was capable of. He would be better than that.

...δ...

Percy waited in the car for what felt like hours before deciding he had to physically bring his girlfriend to her seat.

All morning, he had avoided confrontation, knowing that he wasn't really in the mood for a shouting match before school. But if she spent any more time in getting into the damn car, they'd be late again.

Sighing, he hopped up the garage steps into the house, seeing his mom tending to the coffee machine in the kitchen. "Mom, you seen Annabeth? I've been waiting for like, ten minutes."

Sally turned around to face him, stirring the cream into her coffee. "She told me to tell you that she got a ride with Thalia. She left about a half an hour ago."

Percy felt confused for only a moment before gritting his teeth and roughly squeezing his car keys in his hand. "Thanks, mom. I'll see you later." He stomped back into the garage, slamming his car door shut as he quickly backed out of the driveway by himself.

All he could think was that she must have been pretty mad, because typically, immaturity wasn't her style. The volume on his radio was set to maximum, and he clenched his teeth as he sped to school. Not that he cared about being late, but there was a small part of him that didn't care about being mad at his girlfriend and refused to let her brave the raging hallways alone.

Soon enough, he was pushing open the heavy doors, his eyes set on the direction of his girlfriend's locker. Students were probably watching him closely, seeing as he was the newest gossip of the school, but he paid them no mind. His footsteps were loud against the hallway tile. As usual, the kids parted around him, as if he would unlatch an ax from his back and start chopping them away if they didn't move quick enough.

A blond girl with a swollen stomach stood in front of her locker, fiddling with a pen in her delicate little hands. Percy's cousin was in front of Annabeth, seemingly trying to calm her. Approaching from behind, he fell back onto the locker next to them to announce his presence, yet not voicing his arrival. He'd admit that he was pretty pissed about the stunt she'd pulled this morning, and he wasn't too keen on keeping up with their regular morning greetings.

The two girls quieted. Annabeth ignored him as she continued stuffing her books into her bag. Thalia gave him a look of pity, shrugging her shoulders helplessly, as if she understood just how unfair and immature Annabeth was acting. Sighing, he gritted his teeth and stood guard.

Just then, a caramel skinned girl with springy black curls passed by them, snickering to her friends. Too loudly to pass off as trying for discretion, she said, "God, that's just...embarrassing."

His girlfriend's face blossomed a natural pink color and her teeth came out to bite her bottom lip. She kept her face in her locker. No matter how angry Percy was with her, he wasn't going to let people dehumanize her like that. He stood up straight and called out to the girl. "Hey."

Little black ringlets bounced as she turned around to face him. She smirked. "Yeah?"

"Oh, you're right," he told her with scrunched eyebrows, studying her face. "Yikes. Ever heard of Proactiv? You _are_ embarrassing."

Instantly, the smug smile dropped and her face lit up like a stoplight. She just scoffed and turned in the other direction, muttering something that sounded like, "_Fucking asshole_."

Thalia had her wrist in her mouth, desperately trying to stifle her laughter while Annabeth just crossed her arms over her chest, giving him an annoyed look - which didn't have it's effect due to her still fading cherry red blush. "I can take care of myself, thanks." Hefting her bag onto her shoulder, she pivoted away from him before his mouth could hit the floor.

His eyebrows had probably touched his hairline, but he did his best to ignore his indignation and remind himself that she was just mad. Percy gritted his teeth, following after her and Thalia. Like yesterday, he stepped slightly in front of her, just in case some funny guy thought he'd approach her.

Suddenly, he felt Annabeth stop behind him and he turned around. "What?" he asked, glancing behind her to make sure no one was about to throw something again.

She rolled her eyes, stepping out from his cover. "I don't need a bodyguard. Leave me alone."

He felt his face morph and he must have looked pretty mad just then, because Thalia grabbed Annabeth's arm, tugging her away. "Seriously?" He growled quietly, not letting the bystanders hear. "You're acting like a fucking two year old. Grow up."

Gray eyes burned into his, and she shoved past him. "Get away from me."

"With pleasure." He mock-bowed, tightening his grasp on the backpack around his shoulder. Pissed off and irritated, he stomped away from his girlfriend, heading to first period.

...δ...

By the time he was in Spanish class, he was still seething. Annabeth didn't normally act so childish, and maybe he should have put it down to pregnancy hormones instead of getting so hot and heavy, but wouldn't she have had them for months now? No, her attitude was something completely bizarre and new to him.

It just steeled his decision in not forgiving her as easily this time around. He was sick of playing push-over. If Annabeth wanted to make up, she'd have to apologize and make a conscious effort to actually change her ways. It wasn't much, asking for her to be open with him. Not only that, but now she wouldn't let him take care of her all of the sudden. Percy needed that. He needed to be able to protect her or else he'd simply lose his sanity. They were supposed to be partners together, and Annabeth had no idea how much it really got to him when she kept things from him.

Like yesterday, when she had ripped a colorful pamphlet out of his hands before his dyslexic mind could decipher it, he actually felt embarrassed. Of course he didn't say anything, but he felt both angry and offended at the action. Not only had she taken advantage of his faults, but she had left him out again. Obviously, nothing good had been on the damn paper, but he wanted to know. He had a right to, God dammit.

Percy didn't like to be made a fool of. And by his own girlfriend? That was just ridiculous. Though he could truthfully admit that he understood where she was coming from, at least a little bit. Maybe he was overprotective and stuck his nose into her business, but he'd already accepted the fact that his feelings for her were strong and unfamiliar and he couldn't help himself to step in when his mind deemed it necessary.

Sometimes he was even confused in his own actions, but that wasn't surprising. Annabeth had always made him different.

When she walked into the classroom with Thalia following behind, Percy turned away. Feeling this morning's anger unfurl in his stomach, he clenched his jaw and kept his vision locked on the board as his stomach ate away at itself. Spanish was something like a hell to him, because he could hardly understand English in the first place. But he'd have to just try for today and deal with not having a distraction in the form of his curly headed girlfriend.

It took actual effort not to pay her attention as she sat down in her desk next to him. She puffed, hissing quietly under her breath. He heard Thalia whisper to her.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just heartburn," the blond whispered back.

Then it was quiet, and the teacher started class. Percy wondered how long it would take for them to make up. Fighting with her felt a little like acid reflux, but he kept his cool demeanor. He cared too much about their relationship to let them destroy it in the way they were headed. There were foundations that they were missing.

The rest of class went a lot like the beginning. They didn't talk to each other, kept quiet, and ignored the clear as day gawks of other students around them.

After the bell sounded loudly, Percy only spared his girlfriend one look before getting up and leaving. She had already been looking at him, but when she caught his eye, her own whipped away to look at Thalia. Percy rolled his eyes and made his way to Math class.

In the hallway, Travis Stoll caught up with him, clapping him on the back. "Perce, man, haven't seen you in ages."

A smile made it's way onto his face as his best friend greeted him. Pounding the boy's fist, he said, "Stoll."

The same impish grin that had gotten Percy to egg Katie Gardener's house in the seventh grade spread onto the Stoll's face. "Where you been?"

Percy gave him a _duh_ look. "I have a pregnant girlfriend. Where do you think I've been?"

Travis's eyes lit up like he remembered something, then he punched Percy in the shoulder. Frowning, he rubbed the sore spot and narrowed his eyes at his friend. "What was that for?"

The boy ignored his question. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that. Why didn't you tell me you're going to be a dad? By the looks of her sweater, it doesn't look like something new."

Rolling his eyes, Percy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she was afraid _this_ would happen." He used his arms to spread a wide look at the entirety of students in the hallway, all with curious stares and scowls pointed in his direction.

"I didn't even know you slept with her. Why didn't you tell me? I mean, you've been crushing on her since, what? Tenth grade? I'd say that's a worthy achievement."

Laughing, Percy pushed at Travis's shoulder. "Well, obviously it happened before we got together. She didn't even want to talk to _me_ about it. So I wasn't about to go off and _gossip_ to you."

Travis took a heavy breath, like he was winded. "Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

Percy just laughed.

"Anyway," Travis continued, smiling. "When did that little 'gettogether' happen? And, by God, where was I?"

"Actually, funny story. It was at your party last September."

Travis gaped and he stopped walking. "What."

"Hey, you gave me the key!" Percy defended, snickering. Since he wasn't walking Annabeth to her English class, he actually had time to stop by his own locker.

"The crime was committed at my house, and I didn't even know about it! Some friend you are!... Was it any good? I mean, obviously it had to be good...you know, cause there's a baby. Only one way for that to happen."

"Shut up, Travis," Percy chuckled, shaking his head and digging a ten dollar bill for lunch out of his locker.

"I can't believe you're gonna be a dad..." Travis mumbled, picking at a loose string on his backpack.

Percy hummed in agreement, tilting his head until he heard the satisfying crack of stiff muscles in his neck.

"Poor kid..."

"Hey!" Percy protested with a grin, elbowing his friend in the gut.

The shrill sound of the bell rang throughout the hallway, students now hurrying to their destinations at the fear of being tardy. Travis shrugged, adjusting his bag against his shoulder. "Wanna skip? I don't feel like going to Trig."

Percy knew that a responsible student would have declined and scooted his booty off to class before he was too late, but Percy wasn't that kind of kid. Now that Annabeth didn't want him escorting her to her classes, he figured he had no reason to refuse Travis's offer. Anyway, he barely had talked to his friends these past couple weeks and he needed a break from all the girlfriend and family stuff.

Smiling, Percy nodded, clapping hands with Travis before they left for his car.

...δ...

Soon, Percy found himself in the parking lot of a McDonald's with a Big Mac between his fingers. Travis slurped his Diet Coke from the passenger seat, some Bon Iver song playing out of the speakers in the car. Outside was atrocious. The snow was stained black and gray from the dirt, trash littered the area of asphalted parking lot, and leaves and other debris skirted the edges of the sidewalks.

Travis cleared his throat, reaching for a fry from the cardboard box between them. "Remember when we used to cut last year?"

Tapping his free fingers on the wheel to the beat of the song, Percy nodded slowly, thinking of how they used to sneak out to smoke pot in the woods behind the school.

"Why did we ever stop?" Travis asked with such a lost expression that Percy actually had to laugh.

"Because we went broke," Percy explained, rolling his eyes.

His best friend nodded, smiling like he remembered. "Oh yeah. That shit's expensive."

"And your mom has the nose of a hound dog..."

That got a chuckle out of the curly-haired boy. In a perfect imitation of his mother's dry voice, Travis repeated, "_Travis Stoll, you hoodlum! Where is it? I can smell it on you!_"

The black-haired boy bent over the wheel, laughing loudly. Travis popped another french fry into his mouth, turning down the knob on the radio. "I'm still broke. I couldn't afford that stuff even if I wanted to buy it."

Percy nodded. "I would be too if I hadn't been forced into a job at the skate shop."

"Skate shop?" Travis's eyebrows scrunched. "It's the middle of winter. How many people are actually buying skateboards this time of year?"

He shrugged, not really paying attention. His mind drifted to the saved money that was stored in his bank account. Enough to start off with a kid. Of course he'd have to keep working, but he had a head start.

"What do you even do there?"

"What do you think I do? I don't sit around and scratch my ass. I work. Stock shit. Lift boxes. Talk to skeezeballs."

Travis rolled his eyes, a smirk cutting into his face. "Nice."

It was quiet for a few moment, Percy finished his burger, stuffing his trash back into the paper bag it came in. Travis drew little stick figures into the fogged glass of the window. "Do you think you'll be able to do it?" He asked suddenly, catching Percy off guard.

"Do what?"

Travis nodded his head at Annabeth's sweater lying in the back seat. "Be a good boyfriend. Father. Whatever else comes with it."

He swallowed, letting the words settle into his mind. "Sometimes," he replied quietly, scrunching his nose as a man stumbled out of the McDonald's, throwing up at the corner of the sidewalk.

"What do you mean?"

Percy thought about it, studying his bruised hand from punching the wall last night. "Well, some days I feel like I can conquer parenthood and do just about anything by the sheer desire to be a good father. And then other days I'm a little more realistic and I realize that my kid is screwed."

They laughed, Travis relaxing into his seat and sipping from his straw. "At least you've got Annabeth. If anything, she makes up for your parenting skills, or lack there of."

Nodding, he watched the pens and receipts on his dashboard rattle as a big Suburban drove past. "Annabeth and I aren't on the best of terms right now."

"What happened?" Travis asked with a frown.

"We got into a fight."

Blinking, the boy rolled his eyes again. "Yeah. I got that. I meant why."

Pursing his lips, Percy didn't know if this was what it was like to gossip or not. It felt weird to be talking about his feelings with another dude, but he figured it might help him decide if he really fucked up with Annabeth last night. "She's not honest with me. Always hiding things and keeping secrets. And she gets mad at me when I ask her about it."

Travis nodded, mulling it over. "Well, how do you deal with the things she _does_ tell you about?"

"What do you mean?"

"How have you reacted to stuff in the past?"

Sheepishly, Percy scratched the back of his neck, his warm breath fogging up the window. "Uh, I guess I can go a little overboard sometimes. I'm just...protective of her. Can you blame me?"

"No," Travis shook his head. "But I get how she feels. Maybe she's not used to someone paying such close attention to her. Maybe it's just that she doesn't want to disappoint you."

"Disappoint me?"

"Like," Travis's hands pulled at the air for words. "She doesn't want you to feel annoyed with her because you'd constantly be picking her up after each bump she runs into. Or make you think she's too much work to deal with."

"But that's not what I think."

"But that's what she thinks you think."

Percy shook his head. "Annabeth's smart. There's no way she could fall into that kind of an impression."

Tilting his head to the side slightly, he shrugged, "She's also a pregnant teenage girl. Odds are she's at least a little insecure. Especially if she knows about your long past of girls you weren't forced to be with."

"I'm not forced to be with her," Percy said, scowling at his windshield.

Travis sighed. "I'm not saying you are. Believe me, Percy. I'm on your side for this one – she definitely shouldn't be keeping stuff from you when you're about to be co-parenting together. But try to think from her point of view. I doubt she's doing that kind of stuff to hurt you."

A frustrated groan was making it's way up Percy's throat. "When did you start making sense?"

The elfish grin returned to his face and he laughed. "What are you going to do?"

"I want her to stop doing that kind of stuff. So, I'd be pleased if she apologized for being such a little b-"

"Watch it, buddy."

"I was going to say brat. But yeah. I think we need to talk about everything, and that's the problem. She won't talk."

His friend nodded, and Percy went on. "I mean, I get that she might not want to rip open old wounds, but I start to think I'm not important enough for her to share her troubles with. Like, she could tell Thalia. But she can't tell me. I care about her so much, sometimes it actually freaks me out." Percy crumpled up a piece of paper from his dashboard, throwing it at the windshield and watching it bounce back and land in the backseat next to Annabeth's sweater. "When I find out about the things she hides from me, it physically hurts and I don't know how to deal with that. Everything's just so Goddamn confusing all the time."

"It sounds like you love her."

Percy's head dropped onto his steering wheel and he sighed. "It does, doesn't it?"

"Do you?"

"I don't know."

Again, it was quiet. The beats of the car radio were the only sounds breaking through the thick silence. Percy felt his phone vibrate and looked to see a message from Thalia.

_Youre in trouble dude_

He ignored it, locking his phone. About to return to sadly looking out his window, he was surprised at Travis's next question. "Does Annabeth know about your money? I assume it's being put towards a different purpose than originally intended."

It wasn't like Travis to be so insightful. He'd never experienced this side of his best friend. Scrunching his eyebrows at all the mature tone, Percy muttered, "Yeah, I guess. I'm saving it for the baby now. And, not that I know of. She thought I was dealing drugs."

"...Maybe she's not the only one keeping things from the other."

Percy sighed, rubbing his forehead to soothe the oncoming migraine. "It's a little different, don't you think? She lies about being harassed at school. I lie about using my own college funds for my kid."

"What would she think if you told her?"

"She wouldn't be happy," he admitted. "But what's more important: Community college or the supplies to care for the baby?"

"Of course, the baby," Travis agreed. "But I'm sure Annabeth wouldn't be happy if she knew how much you're giving up. Don't you think you guys could survive off of your job money?"

Percy clenched his fists. "That's the problem. I don't want my family just 'surviving.' I want my kid to be happy. Fulfilled. I want them to have the best life that I could even dream of providing."

"Where does giving up your own life come into that? And I'm thinking you guys would be better off if you had a college education and a decent paying job."

"I guess. I did plan on going later. Once the kid got less expensive. Stopped wearing diapers and costing a fortune."

Travis laughed, strapping on his seat belt as Percy adjusted his rear view mirror. "I'm thinking of selling a few of my dad's things, anyway," Percy told his friend. Lunchtime was ending, and Percy knew they'd have to be leaving.

The boy's head dropped. "Have you learned nothing, Percy? Your girlfriend will not be happy when she finds out that you sold all you have left of your dead father's stuff."

"My dad would understand. He would want me to do anything I could to make Annabeth and the baby's life as good as I possibly can. He treated my mom like a queen."

"Yes, and when your queen castrates you for doing that, don't come asking me to sew them back on."

Laughing, Percy drove them out of the parking lot, glad that he got to catch up with his friend today.

...δ...

After dropping off Travis at school, Percy decided that he'd had enough of school for the day and headed home. What he didn't expect was his own mother to be home, sitting in the kitchen and sipping from the massive mug Annabeth had bought her for Christmas.

"Mom," Percy squeaked. "You're home early."

"Mm," she hummed, narrowing her eyes at him and lowering her cup onto the counter. "May I ask why school let you out two hours early?"

Clearing his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck. "...Chores?" He asked with a scrunched nose.

"Chores," she agreed, nodding once.

Percy sighed, retreating upstairs for some more comfortable clothes. His room was still a mess and he hoped his mother hadn't seen it yet. But he didn't feel like starting with the disaster he created last night – he wasn't in the mood to deal with what it would remind him of.

The bathroom was a bit messy, but ever since Annabeth moved in, she kept it reasonably tidy. He used the shower head to spray down the walls of the shower, not knowing how else he was supposed to clean – He didn't do it often. He found a broom in the cupboard across the hall, and used it to sweep the floor. When he had a nice little pile, he realized that the dustpan was in the garage.

Checking to his left and then to his right, in one large swing, he shot all of the dirt into the carpeted hallway. Someone would vacuum it later. Hopefully not him.

This was always Percy's punishment when he got caught cutting class. His mom made him clean everything. He couldn't have thought of a worse way to teach him a lesson. It was just torture.

There was a wicker basket full of dirty clothes in the bathroom. He brought it down to the laundry closet on the first floor before sighing and getting to work. Percy hated doing laundry. He'd rather chug a bottle of hot sauce.

He tossed two pairs of lace underpants into the washing machine, hoping to God they were Annabeth's and not his mother's. He reached into the basket blindly, pulling out a pair of yoga pants Annabeth had been wearing yesterday.

About to throw them into the machine as well, he stopped when he heard crinkling. Curious – and much too nosy for his own good – he reached into the pocket, feeling the dry texture of crumpled paper on his finger tips.

They were notes. Small and ripped bits of paper with pencil words, written in swirly teenage girl handwriting that was hell on his dyslexia.

He was sure that he'd probably spent a good fifteen minutes picking out the words on each individual note, because every time he deciphered one, the angrier he got and the more the words flew around the lined paper.

By the time he was finished, he thought he might start chucking things around the room again. And as much as that would help calm him down, he didn't want to scare his mother. Growling, his hands were twitching to at least punch a wall.

Percy knew he had to get out of the house. He could feel his skin heating up and his nails digging into his palm. His teeth might actually shatter from the pressure of his jaw clenching.

Shoving the notes into his pocket angrily, he could hear his breath becoming heavier. He swallowed thickly before running to the door. His mother called after him, but he needed to get out. Even if he was only wearing a pair of sweats and no shirt. He slipped on a pair of boots before escaping.

As he threw the door open to his truck, he saw Thalia's car pull into the driveway. Both girls stood out of the car quickly and Annabeth called after him. "Percy?"

He was beyond being sensible, needing a moment to control his anger. Ever since he was a kid, he had been hot-headed. He got angry quick and easily. Definitely not safe to be around either. Maybe that was why Sally hadn't gone after him. She knew that Percy needed space right now.

But Annabeth wasn't as experienced in Percy's outbursts. She tugged her coat tighter around her as Percy hopped into his car and slammed the door shut. "Where are you going?" She yelled over the roar of the engine.

Ignoring her, he backed out of the driveway with only one destination in mind.

* * *

**Jeez this was long. It definitely felt weird writing from his perspective. And it was difficult, because I was so used to Annabeth. So if he came off more as a pregnant teenage girl in terms of thoughts and feelings...Oops. But I hope you liked it anyway**

**Credit to Mr. Invincible for suggesting Percy POV. Thanks for the input :)**

**Bella**


	26. The Fight

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights go to those deserving.**

* * *

**ANNABETH**

Her heart jumped roughly in her chest as she watched his truck peel out of the driveway. His bare skin was red and his eyes were burning. She turned to Thalia, stunned, making sure she wasn't the only one who'd witnessed Percy's quick escape.

"What the hell?" She sputtered out, clutching her belly as the weird fluttering sensation she'd been getting all day attacked again. "Where did he go?"

Thalia frowned, still staring at the place his truck had been just seconds before. "Only one way to find out." She jingled her keys in hand, raising her eyebrows.

"No," Annabeth said immediately. "Won't he be mad if we follow him?"

"We're not following him," Thalia defended. "Since we don't have a clue where he is."

Annabeth's brows scrunched. "It looks like he wants to be alone. I don't think he'd want _me_ around anyway."

Rolling her eyes, Thalia gave her an obvious look. "You're the only one who can get him to calm down, Annabeth. Whether he's mad at you or not. Just cry a little bit. He'll melt."

Massaging her bump through her shirt, she wondered for the first time if it would be dangerous to be around her boyfriend. Any other day, she would have wholeheartedly believed that Percy was more bark than bite, but she'd never seen him like this before.

Other than at school with the students, she hadn't seen him get angry to such an extent before. She'd always thought that he was more of a teddy bear, but she was starting to get an idea about why most of her peers thought he was a rebel.

Maybe she should give him his space. That was obviously what he wanted. But also, Thalia was right when she said that Annabeth was the only one who could pacify him – even if she might have been the one to rouse him in the first place. Percy was only able to control his anger in terms of being rough and reckless. She needed to find him in case he did something stupid.

"Wait here," she told Thalia, pointing to the sedan. Running into the house, she hurried up the stairs and into his room. The place was a wreck. It looked like Hurricane Percy had made a personal appearance in his bedroom. Biting back her surprise, she grabbed a shirt off the floor, because her boyfriend was an idiot and he wasn't wearing one in the thirty degree weather outside.

She hoped that his coat was still inside his truck, and at least the dummy would have that, so he didn't freeze to death. Hurling herself into the passenger's seat of Thalia's car, she strapped herself in before remembering that she had no idea where Percy was.

"Text him?" Thalia suggested.

Annabeth shook her head, giving her a look. "Why would he reply?"

Only shrugging, the girl tapped her fingers on the wheel. "Any idea where he would go? Think about it: he's angry and needs to let off steam. Where is he?"

It was a long-shot, but a small idea sprung into her mind. She nervously bit her lip as she told Thalia the address, claiming that it was the only place she could think of.

The crusty sedan backed out of the driveway and it jerked as Thalia spun the wheel to the right. Annabeth could hear the tires sloshing around in the snow and she worried about how Thalia's old car would survive. She typically rode with Percy, whose truck had massive snow tires and four-wheel drive.

As they continued down the road, Annabeth's leg bounced rapidly against the edge of her seat. She didn't know what had set Percy off, but there was a part of her that just knew it had something to do with herself.

Annabeth was beginning to grow tired of being mad at him. It had only been a day since their fight, but she already missed him. Truthfully, she had been immature this morning when she dragged Thalia out of bed to come pick her up for school, but it wasn't for the same reason Percy thought it was.

Even if she was still pretty aggravated with Percy, she just didn't want to be there when they fought. She figured if she stayed away from him, it would almost be like they weren't fighting at all. It was stupid and pointless, but she only regretted it a little bit.

Her heart sank every time she thought about what she had said to him in the halls this morning. Once again, she "spat on his effort." Percy was only trying to help her. It was just the way he was – he needed to be able to take care of something. He needed to feel useful to her _and_ make sure she wasn't in any kind of danger.

But just because she was guilty for how she had treated him this morning, didn't mean she was any regretful for last night. Percy wanted her to be completely careless and throw out the events she tried to forget about. It felt like he wanted her to come home everyday and recite a list of every part of the day she was made to feel like shit.

Why should she have to relive her vulnerability and hurt _another_ time of the day just to satisfy his needs? What did that even do for him? All she could think was it got him agitated and angry. Not only that, but he started believing ridiculous things like it being _his_ fault people were bullying her.

That's why she kept things from him. He was too protective and she knew it upset him when people hurt her. She didn't want to upset him. She loved him and it sucked that they couldn't find some common ground in this.

Thalia cursed as a chunk of sludge from her windshield flew up and splattered against the glass, clouding her view of the road. Quickly, she let the wipers clear the window and Annabeth saw that they were pulling up to their destination.

She undid her belt from around her waist and prepared herself to fly out of the car as soon as Thalia stopped. "Chill out, squirt. If he's here, he's not going anywhere," Thalia remarked with a little smile. She pulled up in front of the building, squinting her eyes at the brick walls and sale deals in the windows.

Annabeth nodded sheepishly before trying not to look too anxious as she hopped out of the car and slammed the door shut, Percy's shirt in hand. Around the car, she leaned down in Thalia's window, gesturing for her to open up. "If you hear yelling from the rooftop, you can leave. I'll get a ride home with him."

"Are you sure?" Thalia looked hesitant. "What if he, like, Hulk-Smashes you or something?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Percy very much might want to punch me square in the face. Doesn't mean he will." With one last nervous wave, she hurried into Anderton's, the bell jingling above her head as she swung the door open.

Rhonda sat at the counter, glazed doughnut in hand. The pages of her book lost her attention as Annabeth tumbled through the door. "Figured you might come. Go on up," the woman said, smiling at Annabeth with a strange gleam in her eye, as if she were reminiscing.

With a quick thanks, Annabeth scurried to the door she used to think was a supply closet, her boots making tapping noises as they pounded up the stairs.

Not particularly in the mood to stall, she didn't leave a breath of air before using her shoulder to push the heavy door open. Almost immediately, she felt a cold rush of wind sting her cheeks. A tall and very much shirtless Percy stood off to the side, having whipped around as he heard the door fly open.

Her jaw clenched and she stomped up to him, shoving his bare chest. "Are you a fucking idiot!" She yelled, throwing the long-sleeved shirt at the exposed skin and backing up before she could let herself hit him again.

"Annabeth." He looked confused, glancing at her, then back at the shirt as if he didn't know what it was. A muscle in his neck ticked like he remembered something. "What are you doing here?" He asked between ground teeth.

"Put the shirt on and when I decide you're not hypothermic – or completely retarded – I'll answer your questions."

Percy scowled, but shoved his arms into the shirt quickly. Huh. Who'd have thought he'd actually be cold? Evidently, not Percy.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Annabeth asked once her boyfriend had successfully dressed himself. "Were you trying to spend the night as an ice cube?"

His eyes narrowed. "I asked you what you were doing here first. Answer me."

She didn't like the bite in his tone and she most definitely didn't like to be ordered to do anything. But she had said she would answer his questions, so with a set jaw, she replied, "You think I came to enjoy the show? I'm here to find out why your having a meltdown."

It made her uncomfortable when he just stared at her – watched her, as if he was trying to pull secrets out of her with his eyes. "You know, I'm getting really sick of this whole back and forth thing. You hide things. I get upset. You apologize and say you won't do it again. But then you do. And it gets worse each time."

She swallowed thickly, knowing she had been right when she thought he was mad at her specifically. But for the same thing as last night? Something surely had to have set him off. "Percy, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play ignorant, Annabeth. You're too smart to pretend you don't know what I'm saying." His shoulders rolled back and he looked tense. He stood by the ledge of the roof, looking over the side with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Okay," she admitted, letting herself fall onto the bench a few feet behind him. "I know you're mad at me because I've been slightly closed off to you...Alright, I can understand that. What I can't understand is why you had the sudden need to run to a rooftop and sulk shirtless in thirty degree weather." She glanced up at him, gauging his reaction.

Percy bent over the concrete ledge and spat. He clutched onto the rail when he rose again, the veins in his arms popping from the strain. "Annabeth, how about we try this: _Is there anything you'd like to tell me_?" She knew he was mocking her. She'd asked the same thing when she accused him of doing drugs.

Her hands shook as she told him no. She wasn't sure if it was out of anger or fear. "No?" He asked, raising one charcoal eyebrow and reaching into his pockets. She heard some kind of crackling noise like he was touching paper. "You have nothing to say? ...Or nothing you _want_ to tell me? Because there's a difference."

His back was still facing her and she felt weirdly disconnected to him. She might have been mad, but the feeling still struck something in her gut. She didn't like it.

"Percy, I know where this is going. You found something. Just...say what you want to."

His jaw tightened and he ripped his hand out of his pocket, pulling out little pieces of paper. Sticky notes, college ruled, and printer paper. "What the hell are these?"

Instantly, her hand flew to her pocket, but she remembered that they had been in her pants from yesterday. She swore under her breath. Percy had found the notes. "It looks like you already know," she muttered, watching her lap instead of meeting his eyes.

"It looks like it," the boy agreed, finally turning to her. His green eyes burned intensely into hers and she was scared again. But not scared he would hurt her. She was afraid of what he was thinking. He cleared his throat. "'_You're a joke'_," he slowly read off one of the notes. "_'Fucking slut-sucker', 'Kill yourself.'_"

His body was stiff and angry. Fists balled up by his sides as he tried to keep himself from hitting something. "You don't think that's important enough to tell me about? Annabeth, this is harassment."

"You think I don't know that?" She snapped. "Why do you think I didn't want to tell you? You're freaking the hell out."

"I have the right to!" He yelled, throwing the notes on the ground. "People are telling my pregnant girlfriend to kill herself and she refuses to tell me about it!"

"Fuck, Percy!" Annabeth felt tears sting in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it cause it hurt enough the first time around!"

One of his hands tore through his hair, gripping it tightly. "Annabeth, I could've helped you! I could be there for support, but you just won't let me! It is the most frustrating thing I've ever had to deal with," he shouted.

"Well, I'm sorry, Percy," she told him, balling her own fists in her lap. "But I think it's my choice whether I tell you things or not. You don't own me."

Green eyes flashed dangerously. "Own you? Who said anything about owning you? I just want you to be honest with me, yet all you seem to think is that this is my sick way of gaining control over you!"

"You're making a big deal out of nothing! This didn't have to be a shouting match on top of a rooftop. We could have been back at home, snuggling or watching TV. But you're being an asshole!" She let her words out quickly, frustration gripping at her like flames on dry wood.

"That's where you're wrong." Percy shook his head angrily. "This problem in our relationship has the potential to grow completely out of hand. I'm trying to fix it before it ruins us."

Annabeth scowled, but didn't interrupt him as he continued. "These issues are different than disagreeing on a sports team, Annabeth. We keep things from each other. We don't trust each other."

"I don't trust you?" she yelled, clenching her teeth. "I fucking gave up _everything_ for you. My family. My house. My grades are slipping and I've lost close to all my old friends! I moved into your home, Percy. I'm agreeing to raise a child with you and you have the nerve to say I don't trust you? Fuck whatever logic that is."

He swallowed, but said, "That's an entirely different kind of trust, Annabeth."

"Yeah?" she challenged. "How so?"

The cool breath of wind blew, tousling his hair and making him look sinfully attractive to her. She bit her lip, ignoring the fact that he looked like a god when she wanted so much to punch him in the face.

"You may trust that I'll be good to you and that I'll take care of our family, but as a person, you don't trust me with the little things. The things that are supposed to be easiest to talk about."

"Just because I don't tell you what people are saying to me doesn't mean that it's a fatal flaw in our relationship. You don't have to know everything, Percy," she told him exasperatedly. Truthfully, she was scared of where this conversation was going. She might not have been all that experienced in love before she met Percy, but she remembered what a break-up sounded like.

"Annabeth, if we're lying to each other... That doesn't say good things."

"What do you mean?" Her heartbeat was speeding up. She could feel it thumping roughly against the walls of her chest.

"How can we be in a relationship if we can't be honest with each other?" Percy asked, shaking his head. "We can't."

Annabeth felt something close to panic rise in her blood. Her voice cracked when she said, "Are you saying you want to break up?"

For a heart-stuttering moment, he was quiet. And Annabeth thought she was going to throw up.

His face scrunched painfully. "Trust me, Annabeth. I _don't_ want to. But if we keep going on like this...It'll happen sooner or later."

It felt like her emotions had done a one-eighty. She wasn't as angry as before. Fear ripped at her mind replacing the anger with something that stung worse. She started shaking again. Salty tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes. "Don't do this, Percy," she pleaded, the words tasted bitter in her mouth. She didn't want to sound like she was begging...but she needed him. It felt like everything was falling apart right in front of her. "Don't...Please, just don't."

"I don't want to," he admitted honestly, taking a seat next to her on the bench and grabbing one of her hands in his own. "Please stop crying. We're not breaking up right now. That's not where I'm going with this."

She used her free hand to wipe the wetness from her cheeks as she sniffed. Her breath was thick and her mind was racing. "Then don't say that kind of stuff." Lungs were heavy in her chest, and she wasn't feeling relieved yet. Percy had brought up the idea of splitting up and that was sort of like reaching his hand into her chest cavity and squeezing her heart.

His head dropped and he kept his eyes on his lap. "How am I supposed to be angry at you when you're crying?" he asked, his fingers idly running along the edge of the bench.

A nervous chuckle escaped her lips, but she didn't say anything. It was silent again. The only noise was the sound of cars and people below, going about their everyday lives as Annabeth felt like hers was tearing at the seams.

After what felt like too long, Percy spoke again. "I don't want this place to become the new hotspot for all of our fights. I want to remember the first time when we came here."

"Me too," she agreed quietly, scrunching her nose as she sniffled.

Percy hugged his arms around himself, his hands rubbing up and down his shoulders and trying to create heat with the friction. Annabeth groaned inwardly, feeling stupid for ignoring the fact that Percy was out here without a coat on.

"Let's go back. Before you get pneumonia."

"No," Percy rejected immediately, much to Annabeth's confusion. "I don't want to leave before we have this figured out."

"We can talk about this at home."

"Annabeth." His voice was laced with silent warning. After the scare of separating, the girl felt like she was skating on thin ice. Their relationship felt fragile and she decided to be as cooperative as she could for the time being.

She just couldn't lose Percy.

Her fingers trembled as she entwined them with his. "How do we fix this?"

"We make promises to each other. Ones that we'll actually keep."

Biting her lip, she didn't know how she was going to be able to do this. It felt weird and she imagined she'd come home each day and read off a list of names she'd been called, things that had been thrown at her, or notes she'd found in her locker. But if it was her and Percy's relationship that was at risk, she'd do anything to keep them together. She loved him and there was no way in hell she'd be letting him get away that easily.

"I can try, Percy. I promise I will _try_ to be open with you."

Percy nodded, slumping in his seat like he was relieved. He shifted so he was facing her before continuing. "I will try to be less...overbearing."

A small smile – just the corners of her lips tugging upward – spread along her face, and she took a deep breath. Clearing her throat, Annabeth blinked back any remaining tears in her eyes. "No more fighting on the rooftop, okay?"

The boy chuckled. "Alright."

Annabeth stood up. Her body felt weird. Like all the emotional strain was having an actual effect on her. Her balance stuttered a bit, but she caught herself. Before they could move to leave, Annabeth used her fist to punch Percy in the shoulder.

At his incredulous look, she walked past him to the door. "That's for scaring me."

...δ...

"This is weird," Percy said as they sat on the mattress in his bedroom among the mess of clothes and carelessly tossed items.

Annabeth bit her lip and nodded. The air was tense and uncomfortable. "Really, _really_ awkward," she agreed.

Scrunching his eyebrows, he glanced at her. "...Well, this sucks."

"No kidding," she laughed, sitting up and not even trying to pretend she was enjoying their alone time.

"You're the smart one," Percy pointed out. "Say something to make this easier."

She frowned, shrugging her shoulders. "Just keep talking, I guess?"

"I don't like this. It's not good."

Slumping, she shoved his shoulder. "How about we start with where you were this afternoon? I'd say you've got some explaining to do."

Percy scratched behind his neck, smiling nervously. "Travis and I went out to lunch," he explained.

"All afternoon?" she deadpanned. One eyebrow raised and her look told him his answer didn't cut it.

The boy sighed. "I came home afterward. Figured you wouldn't mind."

"You figured wrong. No more skipping school."

"Fine." Percy rolled his eyes. "But you should know that my mom was home. And she made me do laundry. So – punishment has been received."

Some small part of her brain registered that he had been probably been washing her clothes when he had found the notes. She felt stupid for leaving them in her pants like that, but she'd forgotten. "Good. You deserved that."

Percy grumbled. "Yeah. Whatever."

Giggling, she reached over to pinch his cheek mockingly. "Aw, sorry, Perce. You aren't as sly as you thought."

"Shut up."

She felt like maybe the whole talking thing was working, but she still felt pretty awkward around him. A jolt of bitterness ran through her, because in all the movies, the couples resolved their problems with make-up sex. She had a feeling she wouldn't be getting any of _that_, anytime soon.

And it was quiet again. Percy had pulled his phone out as Annabeth thought to herself. Her mind replayed the scene on the rooftop over and over again. It felt almost like muscle memory – the way her chest tightened up the same way it had on the rooftop. Just thinking about it was giving her stress.

A thought struck her just then and she felt the need to ask about it. "Percy?"

"Hmm?" He was playing some game on his phone, his fingers moving quickly around until the screen lit up in a message of GAME OVER. Percy scowled at the device. "Lagging piece of shit," he muttered. "I totally had that."

"You said, '_we're_ lying to each other', and '_we_ keep things from each other.' Is there..." She struggled for words. "Are you hiding stuff, too? Because I swear to God, I'll hit you."

"What?" Percy laughed. "Why?"

"Because you get all pissy at me for hiding things, but you're doing it, too!"

He shook his head slowly, his smile fading. "It's not too big of a deal."

Raising her eyebrows, she waited for him to explain. She'd be the one to judge whether it was a big deal or not. He sighed, grumbling under his breath and sticking his phone into his pocket. "Remember when you asked me if I was selling drugs?"

Something jumped inside of her, freaking out. "If you're about to tell me-"

"No," Percy interrupted. "That's still not true."

She calmed down slightly, nodding and falling backwards to rest on the headboard. Percy ran a hand through his hair before going on. "Well, I do have a shit-ton of money saved up. That's why I wasn't too worried about spending it."

"What do you mean?" she asked, suddenly curious as to why he had to hide this from her. "You didn't rob a bank, right?"

He laughed, though it sounded a bit nervous. Like he was trying to use that to calm himself down. "No, of course not."

"Then where did you get it?"

His hands came up to rub his face. "Before you kick my ass – I just want to say sorry in advance."

"Percy..." Her heart was speeding up again, and she was a little annoyed that she'd asked about this. Hadn't they had enough drama for the day?

"Well... I've been planning on using my college funds for the baby."

It took a second for his words to process in her brain. At first, it just sounded like some incoherent formation of words, but then it made sense and she blinked. Her body tensed and she turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "What?"

Percy winced. "But that's not all. I've also sold a few of my dad's old watches and stuff for extra money."

She was shaking her head before he finished. "No, you didn't."

Discomfort settled into his features. "Uh, yeah. I did. Not everything. But I planned on selling more later."

"No," she let out forcefully. "You're not."

Her eyes were welling up and she had no idea why. Before he could explain himself, Annabeth broke in. "Why would you do that, Percy?" Her voice cracked and Percy looked like he was panicking.

"He doesn't need that stuff anymore," he defended, raising his arms like he was trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Annabeth. He left them to me. They were mine. It's okay."

"It's not okay!" she disagreed, blinking back tears. All this information felt like overload. Percy was really going to use his money for college? And he had sold his father's heirlooms? "Percy, that was your dad's stuff! Your _dad's_!"

Percy frowned. "A couple of watches and tie clips aren't things I use to remember him by. I have pictures and VHS tapes, Annabeth. You look like you're about to have a panic attack, please just try to breathe."

She tugged her hand through her curls, trying to steady her breath like he said. "Let's talk about this later. We don't need to talk about this right now," her boyfriend suggested.

Ignoring him, she went on, "Percy... Y-You're giving up too much."

His face scrunched. "Annabeth, I think we just had a conversation about how much you've given up. This is nothing."

"This is your _future,_" she stressed.

It was quiet for a few seconds. Then he said, "You guys are my future, too."

Her eyes shut tight. She felt like she was going to vomit, because that was so sweet and he was just too much sometimes. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he ordered, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her against him. He stroked his hands through her hair, hushing her. "You really have to breathe, Annabeth. You're freaking me out, here."

She made a conscious effort to take in heavy loads of oxygen, trying to relax into Percy's arms. "I'm pretty sure that all this stress is not good for you, sweetheart. We'll talk about this later, okay?"

Desperately, she wanted to protest, but there was this kind of pleading in his eyes and she found herself nodding, letting out a long breath of air. "Okay."

"'Atta girl," he praised, placing a kiss on her forehead. She felt her eyelids droop, fluttering closed as Percy hushed her again. "You can sleep. Today was rough."

She let herself snuggle closer into him, resting her head into the crook of his neck. He felt warm and soft, and it reassured her in some way. Percy made her feel safe. She could feel his quick pulse under her cheek.

"Sleep," he commanded, running his hand along the curve of her spine.

Her breath slowed and she tugged her arms around him, pressing one sleepy kiss into the skin below his ear before letting herself fall asleep.

* * *

**Sorry this is late guys. I got grounded last night when I was writing this chapter, so I had to finish it in the morning. And this is rushed and stuff and I really freaking hate this chapter. But I just can't even right now. I apologize, like a lot**


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